Latenttilämpöjä

Latenttilämpöjä, often translated as latent heat, refers to the energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase transition, such as melting, freezing, boiling, or condensation, without a change in temperature. This energy is used to overcome the intermolecular forces holding the substance in its current phase and transform it into another phase.

There are several types of latent heat. Latent heat of fusion is the energy required to change a substance from a solid to a liquid (melting) or from a liquid to a solid (freezing). Latent heat of vaporization is the energy required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas (boiling) or from a gas to a liquid (condensation). The reverse process of vaporization, condensation, also releases latent heat. Similarly, freezing releases the latent heat of fusion.

The amount of latent heat involved in a phase change depends on the specific substance and the mass of the substance undergoing the change. For example, water has a relatively high latent heat of vaporization, meaning it takes a significant amount of energy to turn liquid water into steam. This property is crucial in many natural phenomena, such as weather patterns and the regulation of Earth's temperature. In engineering, understanding latent heat is essential for designing systems involving heat transfer, refrigeration, and power generation.