Latent Heats

Definition of Latent Heats:

• Latent Heats is the amount of heat absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change without altering its temperature.

Phase Changes Involved in Latent Heats:

• 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:

1. Latent Heat of Fusion: Heat required to change a substance from solid to liquid or vice versa.
2. Latent Heat of Vaporization: Heat required to change a substance from liquid to gas or vice versa.
3. Latent Heat of Sublimation: Heat required to change a substance from solid directly to gas.

Importance:

1. Climate and Weather: Latent heat plays a crucial role in atmospheric processes, such as the formation of clouds and precipitation.
2. Engineering: Used in designing heating and cooling systems, such as heat pumps and refrigeration.
3. 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.

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