Lesson 3:

Chapter 4: Heat

4.3 Specific Latent Heat

4.3.1 Latent Heat
1. If you hold some ice in your hand, you will notice that the ice:

(a) is cooler than the surroundings

(b) is at a constant temperature
(c) is melting
2. The inferences that can be made from these observations are summarised in table below.

3. In conclusion, when the ice melts, it absorbs heat without a change in its temperature.
4. A similar situation is observed when heat is supplied continuously to boiling water. Placing
a thermometer in the boiling water will show that its temperature remain constant.
5. When a substance undergoes a change of phase such as melting or boiling, it absorbs heat
without an increase in its temperature. The heat absorbed is known as latent heat.
6. From the principle of conservation of energy, we can infer that latent heat is given out
(a) when a gas condenses at a constant temperature to become a liquid.
(b) these two processes also occur at constant temperature when the liquid solidifies at a
constant temperature to the solid phase.

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 7. Table below shows a summary of the processes and the latent heat involved.

8. The four main changes of phase are melting, boiling, condensation and solidification.
9. Figure below shows four main changes and the latent heat involved.

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 10. The heating curve for a substance in the solid state when it is heated uniformly and
undergoes a change of phase from solid to liquid to gas is as shown in figure below.

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 11. The cooling curve for a substance in the gaseous state when it cools down and undergoes a
change of phase from gas to liquid to solid as shown in figure below.

12. There are three common characteristics when a substance undergoes a change of phase:
(a) The change of phase occurs at a particular temperature.
(b) Heat energy is transferred into or out of the substance during the change of phase.
(c) During the change of phase, the temperature remains constant even though there is
transfer of heat.
13. The heat absorbed or the heat released at constant temperature during a change of phase is
known as latent heat.
14. The transfer of latent heat does not involve a change in the kinetic energy of the molecules.

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4.3.2 Latent Heat of Fusion
1. The particles in a solid vibrtae about their fixed mean positions. Figure below shows the
transition of a solid to a liquid.

2. During melting, the latent heat absorbed is used to weaken the bonds between the particles.
3. The particles are freed from their fixed positions and are able to vibrate and move among
each other as particles of a liquid.
4. The heat absorbed by a melting solid is known as the latent heat of fusion.
5. For a liquid to solidify at its freezing point, latent heat of fusion has to be removed from it.

4.3.3 Latent Heat of Vaporisation

1. The particles in a gas are in continuous random motion and they are much further apart
from each other than the particles of a liquid.

2. When a liquid boils, the latent heat absorbed is used to:

(a) completely break the bonds between the particles,
(b) do work against atmospheric pressure when the gaseous vapour expands into the
atmosphere.
3. The heat absorbed during boiling is known as the latent heat of vaporisation.
4. When vapour condenses bacl into a liquid, latent heat of vaporisation is released.
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4.3.4 Specific Latent Heat
1. The amount of heat required to change the phase of a substance depends on the mass and
the type of material of the substance.
2. A small ice cube melts quickly but a large block of ice melts very slowly.
3. 100 J of heat energy can melt a large amount of wax, but the same amount of heat can only
melt a small amount of iron.
4. The specific latent heat of a substance is the amount of heat required to change the
phaseof 1 kg of the substance at a constant temperature.
5. The specific latent heat, l, of a substance can be calculated from the latent heat, Q,
absorbed or released and the mass, m, of the substance that undergoes the change of phase.
Q
l =
m
where, Q = latent heat absorbed or released by the substance
m = mass of the substance
6. The SI unit for specific latent heat is J kg-1.
7. The latent heat absorbed or released when a substance of mass m changes from on ephase
to another is given by:
Q = ml
8. The specific latent heat of fusion of a substance is defined as the amount of heat
required to change 1 kg of the substance from the solid to the liquid phase without a
change intemperature.
9. The specific latent heat of vaporisation of a substance is define as the amount of heat
required to change 1 kg of the substance from the liquid to the gaseous phase without
a change in temperature.
10. The specific latent heat of vaporisation of a substance is usually larger than the specific
latent heat of fusion. This is due to the extra work done against atmospheric pressure
during the change of phase from liquid to gas.
11. If heat is supplied electrically by a heater to change the phase of a substance, the formula
Q = m l can be written as:
Pt = ml

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 12. Figure below shows the heat and letent heat required to change a block of ice into steam.

Note that largest amount of heat is required for the change of phase from water to steam.
This is due to the additional work done against atmospheric pressure when the steam
expands into the air.

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4.3.5 Applications of Specific Latent Heat in Daily Life
1. Cooling System in Refrigerator
a) A refrigerator uses the cooling effect from evaporation. During circulation of the
cooling agent, heat is absorbed from inside the refrigerator and released outside.
Step 1: Compressor compresses cooling agent (gas) to increase pressure and its
temperature.
Step 2: In the condenser, cooling agent (gas) releases latent heat during condensation.
Step 3: Cooling agent (liquid) flows through expansion valve.
Step 4: In the evaporator, cooling agent (liquid) evaporates and absorbs latent heat from
inside the refrigerator.
Step 5: Cooling agent (gas) flows out from evaporator to the compressor.

2. Evaporation of Sweat
a) We sweat on hot days or while doing heavy work.
b) When sweat evaporates, heat is absorbed from the body causing a cooling effect.
c) The rate of evaporation will increase when there is air circulation.

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