Two objects are in thermal equilibrium if they are in close contact that allows either to gain energy from the other, but nevertheless, no net energy is transferred between them
The energy per unit mass required to change a substance from the solid phase to the liquid phase, or released when the substance changes from liquid to solid
The heat Q absorbed or released in a phase change in a sample of mass m is given by Q = mL, where the latent heat of fusion Lf and latent heat of vaporization Lv are material constants that are determined experimentally
Fur is filled with air, breaking it up into many small pockets. Convection is very slow here, because the loops are so small. The low conductivity of air makes fur a very good lightweight insulator