Introduction. The scope of energetics -- 1. The concept of energy : the first law of thermodynamics -- 2. The concept of entropy -- 3. The free energy or chemical potential -- 4. Computations of standard free energies -- 5. The dependence of chemical potential on concentration -- 6. Group transfer potential : "high-energy bond" -- 7. Some laws of physiochemical behavior -- 8. Energetics from a molecular statistical viewpoint.