What term describes heat added to a substance that changes its state?

What term describes heat added to a substance that changes its state?

• A. Sensible Heat
• B. Thermal Conductivity
• C. Latent Heat
• D. Conduction

Answer: (C)

Latent heat is the energy added to a substance that changes its state. In a phase change, the temperature stays constant while heat goes into rearranging the molecular structure—overcoming intermolecular forces—rather than increasing the average kinetic energy and raising temperature. This energy is absorbed during melting and vaporization and released during freezing and condensation. By contrast, sensible heat changes the temperature without changing the substance’s phase. Thermal conductivity describes how easily heat moves through a material, and conduction is the mode of heat transfer, not the energy associated with a phase change.

Latent heat is the energy added to a substance that changes its state. In a phase change, the temperature stays constant while heat goes into rearranging the molecular structure—overcoming intermolecular forces—rather than increasing the average kinetic energy and raising temperature. This energy is absorbed during melting and vaporization and released during freezing and condensation. By contrast, sensible heat changes the temperature without changing the substance’s phase. Thermal conductivity describes how easily heat moves through a material, and conduction is the mode of heat transfer, not the energy associated with a phase change.