One statement of the first law of thermodynamics is that in any chemical process the heat flow must equal the change in enthalpy. the heat flow in or out of a system is independent of pathway. the total work done on a system must equal the heat absorbed by the system. the total energy flow in or out of a system is equal to the sum of the heat transferred to or from the system and the work done by or on the system. the amount of work done on a system is dependent of pathway.