What is the definition of latent heat?

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

Latent heat refers to the energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change, such as melting, freezing, boiling, or condensation, without a change in its temperature. This means that during the phase change, the energy added to or removed from the substance is used to alter its state rather than to change its temperature.

The correct choice highlights this aspect of latent heat, emphasizing that the transition from one state to another, such as from ice to water or from water to steam, occurs without any temperature change despite the absorption or release of energy. This principle is essential in understanding thermodynamic processes and is crucial for applications involving refrigeration, heating, and energy transfer.

The other choices either misrepresent the concept of latent heat or describe different processes. A change in state with a change in temperature refers to processes like heating a solid, which involves sensible heat instead of latent heat. A change in energy without a change in state might describe other forms of energy transfer that don't involve phase changes. Lastly, a constant temperature process could occur in several contexts, but it doesn't specifically define latent heat, as the definition involves the specific condition of changing phase.

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