What symbol is used to represent enthalpy?

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Answer 1 · 2017-03-13T19:57:31

Chemists use the symbol $H$ to represent enthalpy.

In 1922, Alfred W. Porter proposed that $H$ become the accepted symbol for enthalpy.

The word enthalpy comes from the Greek en = "into" + thalpein = "to heat".

We cannot measure the total enthalpy, $H$ , of a system directly.

Therefore, we measure the change in enthalpy, $ΔH$ .

In symbols,

$ΔH = ΔU + pΔV$

where

$ΔU" =$ thechange in internal energy;
$p$ = the external pressure, and
$ΔV$ = the change in volume of the system.