Definition:
Latent heat is the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change without altering its temperature.
Phase Changes Involved:
Fusion (Melting): Solid to liquid.
Vaporization (Boiling/Evaporation): Liquid to gas.
Sublimation: Solid to gas directly.
Condensation: Gas to liquid.
Solidification (Freezing): Liquid to solid.
Deposition: Gas to solid.
Types of Latent Heat:
Latent Heat of Fusion: Heat required to change a substance from solid to liquid or vice versa.
Latent Heat of Vaporization: Heat required to change a substance from liquid to gas or vice versa.
Latent Heat of Sublimation: Heat required to change a substance from solid directly to gas.
Importance:
Climate and Weather: Latent heat plays a crucial role in atmospheric processes, such as the formation of clouds and precipitation.
Engineering: Used in designing heating and cooling systems, such as heat pumps and refrigeration.
Everyday Life: Explains phenomena like sweating for cooling and the melting of ice.
Example:
When ice melts to water, it absorbs heat from the surroundings without a temperature change until all the ice has melted.
This absorbed heat is the latent heat of fusion.