Latent heat: Is the heat required for an

Latent heat is the heat required for an object to change phase (melt, boil, freeze, etc.). This energy is closely related to enthalpy. [1] In figure 1, very cold ice has heat added to it. The temperature goes up, so that's sensible heat , but once it starts melting, that heat is latent heat (and is represented by the flat parts of the line, during melting or evaporation). Figure 1. Adding heat to water can either raise the temperature or change the phase. [2] The heat that changes the ... Latent Heat Overview Latent heat refers to the quantity of thermal energy needed for a substance to undergo a phase transition. The primary role of the Earth's atmosphere is to transfer energy in order to maintain balance between the poles and the equator. To grasp how the atmosphere sustains human life, it's essential to comprehend the mechanisms of heat exchange occurring within it. One such mechanism is the transmission of latent heat during the process of phase transition or heat ... When a material changes phase, it absorbs or releases latent heat . It does this without changing temperature. The equation that describes this is Q = mL. The concept of latent heat is like a hidden chapter in the story of temperature and heat . It’s the secret agent of energy changes, working behind the scenes during phase changes. People have always known that substances like water can exist in different states—solid, liquid, and gas. However, the understanding of how and why these changes occurred took a while to develop. The story of latent heat heats up with a Scottish scientist named Joseph Black in the mid-18th century. He was the ...