Final answer:
True, the enthalpy change associated with the hydration process is known as the heat of hydration, and it can be either exothermic (releasing heat) or endothermic (absorbing heat) depending on the relative energy changes involved.
Step-by-step explanation:
The answer to your question is true. The enthalpy change associated with the hydration process is indeed called the heat of hydration. The process of hydration involves the incorporation of water molecules into a substance. This process is exothermic or endothermic depending on the nature of the solute and solvent involved. When water molecules surround a solute ion or molecule, energy is involved in both breaking the existing bonds within the solvent (water) and the solute as well as in the formation of new interactions between the solute and the water molecules. If the energy released from forming new interactions (AH3) is greater than the energy needed to separate solvent and solute particles (AH1 + AH2), the overall process is exothermic (heat releasing). Conversely, if the energy of new interactions is less than the energy required to separate the particles, the hydration process is endothermic (heat absorbing).