Latenttilämpönä

Latenttilämpönä, often translated as latent heat, refers to the energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase transition, such as melting, freezing, vaporization, or condensation, without a change in temperature. This is in contrast to sensible heat, which is the energy that causes a change in temperature. Latent heat is stored or released as the bonds between molecules are broken or formed.

There are two primary types of latent heat: latent heat of fusion and latent heat of vaporization. The 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). For example, when ice melts into water at 0 degrees Celsius, it absorbs latent heat of fusion. Conversely, when water freezes into ice, it releases the same amount of latent heat.

The latent heat of vaporization is the energy required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas (boiling or evaporation) or from a gas to a liquid (condensation). This process requires significantly more energy than fusion because the intermolecular forces must be overcome more completely to transition into the gaseous state. For instance, water boiling at 100 degrees Celsius absorbs a considerable amount of latent heat of vaporization. Condensation, the opposite process, releases this latent heat. Understanding latent heat is crucial in many scientific and engineering fields, including meteorology, thermodynamics, and refrigeration.