thermodynamics
Just as the burning of wood releases energy in the form of heat, many other chemical reactions also release heat. There are also chemical reactions, such as photosynthesis in plants, which absorb energy in the form of heat. The study of energy changes in chemical reactions is called thermochemistry . The broader term thermodynamics also looks at how heat, work, and various forms of energy are related to one another. In this lesson, we will study the difference between reactions that absorb versus release heat as well as how to measure this change in energy.