Specific latent heat

• Specific latent heat


  The energy required to change one kilo of a particular substance from one state to another without changing its temperature
• Heating a substance


  1. Particles gain energy in their kinetic energy store

  2. Increases the internal energy

  3. Increases the temperature
• Temperature is a measure of the average internal energy of all the particles in a substance
• When a substance changes state, the energy provided is used to weaken or break the forces holding the particles together, rather than increasing the particle's internal energy
• During state changes, the overall temperature won't change until all of the substance has changed states
• Latent heat


  The exact amount of energy required to change the state of a substance while the temperature remains the same
• Specific latent heat (SLH)

  The energy required to change one kilo of a particular substance from one state to another without changing its temperature
• Types of specific latent heat

  • Specific latent heat of vaporization
  • Specific latent heat of fusion
• Specific latent heat of vaporization

  The energy change when a substance changes between a liquid and a gas (evaporation or condensation)
• Specific latent heat of fusion

  The energy change when a substance changes between a solid and a liquid (melting or freezing)
• The energy required or released is equal to the mass of the substance times the specific latent heat