Latent Heat

Latent Heat

In general when heat is added to a body, its temperature rises. For example when water is heated, its temperature rises. If we place a bowl of water in the sun for some time, its temperature rises because it absorbs heat-radian from the sun. But in certain situations even with the absorption of heat, temperature does not rise. This happens when the body changes its phase (from solid to liquid or from liquid to gas etc). During the change of phase (or state) the temperature of the body remains constant. With reference to the constancy of temperature, the added heat is called the latent heat or hidden heat (latent means hidden).

All solid substances require latent heat for fusing or melting. The latent heat of fusion depends on the nature of the substance. Here we give a table of melting and boiling points of certain substances.