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Isenthalpic process

physical science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Some things stay the same even when they change. An isenthalpic process is a special way things move. In this way, enthalpy stays the same. Enthalpy is a way to measure the total heat energy in a system.

How does this happen? One way is if nothing moves in or out. No heat can move to the surroundings. No work can be done by the surroundings. Also, the fluid cannot change its speed. This keeps the energy level steady.

Another way is if different energy changes cancel each other out. This means the sum of all energy changes is zero.

A good example is called throttling. This happens when fluid goes through a valve. Imagine a safety valve on a pressure tank. When the valve lifts, fluid escapes. The pressure and temperature of the fluid can change a lot. However, the enthalpy stays the same. This is because the energy balance is null. Scientists use this to find the speed of the fluid. They can also find its temperature. If the fluid is an ideal gas, the temperature will not change.

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