Latent heat is the energy absorbed or released by a substance during phase change without changing its temperature.

Types of Latent Heat:

1. Latent Heat of Fusion – The heat required to melt a solid into a liquid (or released when freezing).

2. Latent Heat of Vaporization – The heat required to boil a liquid into a gas (or released when condensing).

Why doesn't the temperature change:

When a substance undergoes a phase change, all the energy it absorbs (or releases) goes into breaking or forming molecular bonds, not into raising the temperature. That’s why ice at 0°C and water at 0°C have the same temperature but different energy levels.

Real-life applications:

• Sweating & Cooling:

  • Your sweat absorbs heat from your body and evaporates, taking away latent heat and cooling you down.

• Boiling Water & Steam Burns:

  • Steam at 100°C has more energy than boiling water at 100°C because it contains the latent heat of vaporization. That’s why steam burns are more severe than boiling water burns.

• Ice Packs in Medicine:

  • When ice melts, it absorbs heat from the body, reducing swelling.

• Refrigerators & Air Conditioners:

  • These work by compressing and expanding refrigerants, using latent heat to absorb heat from inside and release it outside.

• Weather & Hurricanes:

  • When water evaporates from oceans, it stores latent heat in water vapor. When this vapor condenses into clouds, it releases heat, fueling hurricanes.