Due to the absorption of energy when chemical bonds are broken, and the release of energy when chemical bonds are formed, chemical reactions almost always involve a change in energy between products and reactants.
By the Law of Conservation of Energy, however, we know that the total energy of a system must remain unchanged, and that oftentimes a chemical reaction will absorb or release energy in the form of heat, light, or both.
The energy change in a chemical reaction is due to the difference in the amounts of stored chemical energy between the products and the reactants.
This stored chemical energy, or heat content, of the system is known as its enthalpy.
Describe the types of energy changes that can occur in chemical reactions
Source: Boundless. “The Three Laws of Thermodynamics.” Boundless Chemistry. Boundless, 21 Jul. 2015. Retrieved 11 Sep. 2015 from https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/thermodynamics-17/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-123/the-three-laws-of-thermodynamics-496-3601/