What is the amount of latent heat required to evaporate 1 lb of water at 212°F?

Study for the Massachusetts 3rd Class Engineer Exam. Access flashcards and multiple choice questions with hints and explanations. Prepare for success on your exam!

The correct answer is based on the concept of latent heat of vaporization, which is the amount of energy needed to convert a unit mass of a substance from liquid to vapor without a temperature change. For water, this is a well-established value.

At 212°F, which is the boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure, approximately 970.3 BTU of latent heat is required to evaporate 1 pound of water. This value corresponds to the energy necessary to overcome the molecular forces holding the water molecules together in the liquid state, allowing them to transition into the gaseous state.

Understanding this concept is crucial for various applications in engineering and thermodynamics, particularly when dealing with systems involving heating, cooling, and phase changes of water, such as in boilers, condensers, and heat exchangers.

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