What is Latent Heat?
The energy or heat released or absorbed during a phase change of a material is known as latent heat. It might be from a gas to a liquid or from a liquid to a solid and back again.
The graph given below shows, the change in various forms of matter and the heat related to each process.
The study of the above graph tells us that,
The heat energy given to any solid substance increases its temperature until it reaches its melting point. At the melting point, the heat energy supplied does not change the temperature of the substance but the energy absorbed is required to change the phase of the substance. It changes from solid to liquid and the heat supplied is called the latent heat of fusion.
Similarly, the heat energy given to the liquid substance increases its temperature until it reaches its boiling point. At boiling point, the heat energy supplied does not change the temperature of the liquid but the energy absorbed is required to change the phase of the substance. It changes liquid to gas and the heat supplied is called the latent heat of vaporization.
Latent heat is called by various names depending upon the phase it changes.
- Solid-to-Liquid: Latent Heat of Fusion
- Liquid-to-Gas: Latent Heat of Vaporization
- Solid-to-Gas: Latent Heat of Sublimation
Latent Heat
Latent heat is the heat required to transform a solid into a liquid or vapour phase. It is known by several names depending on its phase, such as the heat of condensation, the heat of vaporization, and so on. It can also refer to the quantity of heat energy received or emitted during a phase transition. We will look at the idea of latent heat and the latent heat formula with examples in this article.
Table of Content
- What is Latent Heat?
- Formula for Latent Heat
- Type of Latent Heat
- Specific Latent Heat
- Sensible Heat
- Reasonable Heat and Meteorology
- Example of Latent and Sensible Heat
- Solved Examples on Latent Heat