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Latent Heat of Fusion Formula:
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Latent heat of fusion is the amount of heat energy required to change a substance from solid to liquid state at its melting point without changing its temperature. It's a fundamental concept in thermodynamics and phase change calculations.
The calculator uses the latent heat of fusion formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula calculates the total energy required to melt a given mass of a substance based on its specific latent heat of fusion.
Details: Calculating latent heat is crucial for understanding phase changes, designing heating/cooling systems, and various industrial processes involving melting or freezing.
Tips: Enter mass in kilograms and latent heat of fusion in Joules per kilogram. Both values must be positive numbers.
Q1: What is the difference between latent heat of fusion and vaporization?
A: Latent heat of fusion applies to solid-liquid transitions, while latent heat of vaporization applies to liquid-gas transitions.
Q2: Why is latent heat called "latent"?
A: "Latent" means hidden - the energy is used to break molecular bonds rather than increase temperature, so the temperature change is not visible during phase transition.
Q3: Do all substances have the same latent heat of fusion?
A: No, different substances have different values. For example, water's latent heat of fusion is 334,000 J/kg while mercury's is only 11,400 J/kg.
Q4: How is latent heat of fusion measured experimentally?
A: Typically by measuring the energy input required to melt a known mass of substance while monitoring that the temperature remains constant at the melting point.
Q5: Can this formula be used for freezing processes?
A: Yes, the same amount of energy is released when a substance freezes, so the formula applies to both melting and freezing.