smältvärmen

Smältvärmen, also known as the latent heat of fusion, is the amount of energy required to change the state of a substance from a solid to a liquid at a constant temperature and pressure. This energy is absorbed by the substance during melting. Conversely, the same amount of energy is released when the substance freezes from a liquid to a solid, referred to as the latent heat of solidification.

The value of smältvärmen is specific to each substance. For example, water has a smältvärmen of approximately 334 kilojoules per kilogram. This means that 334 kilojoules of energy must be added to one kilogram of ice at 0 degrees Celsius to turn it into one kilogram of water at 0 degrees Celsius.

This phenomenon is crucial in many natural processes. For instance, the melting of snow and ice in spring contributes to moderating temperatures. Similarly, the freezing of water in cold climates can release significant amounts of heat, which can sometimes prevent smaller bodies of water from freezing solid. Smältvärmen also plays a role in industrial applications, such as in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, where the phase changes of refrigerants are used to transfer heat. The concept is a fundamental aspect of thermodynamics and heat transfer.