Latent heat: The topic of latent heat is discussed in Chapt…
Latent heat: The topic of latent heat is discussed in Chapter 3 section 3.3.1 Heat Properties and in Chapter 4 section 4.4.1 Latent Heating. Phase changes include the processes of evaporation, condensation, melting, freezing, sublimation, and deposition of water. Phase changes do not involve temperature changes. The scientific term for this kind of heat transfer is “latent heat”. See Figure 3.3B, shown below with its figure caption. That figure applies whether the temperature is increasing OR decreasing. A VIDEO explaining this figure is posted on the Ch04 Reading and Video Assignments page. Don’t worry about the brief equations. The rest of the video is very good. a) Using the concept of latent heat, explain why changes in the phase of water (between gas, liquid, and solid) also transfer heat energy within the Earth systems. b) Describe how this process could transfer latent heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. c) At what point in the process would the atmosphere become warmer? (Figure 3.3B) Water’s latent heat of fusion (melting) is the amount of heat that must be added to convert ice to water at the freezing (melting) point temperature. Water’s latent heat of vaporization is the amount of heat that must be added to water to convert water to water vapor at boiling point temperature. Both of these are high to provide energy to overcome the hydrogen bond attraction. As latent heat is added to change the phase, there is no change in temperature. In the reverse processes, the same amounts of latent heat that were added are released when water vapor condenses and when water freezes. The specific heat of water is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of liquid water by 1°C and is measured in calories per gram-degree Celsius (Joules per gram-degree Celsius). The same amount of heat is released as water cools.