What does latent heat refer to?

Latent heat refers to the amount of heat that is added or removed from a substance to change its state without changing its temperature. This concept is critical in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, where phase changes, such as from liquid to gas or gas to liquid, play a key role in heat transfer.

When a substance undergoes a phase change, such as during evaporation or condensation, energy is either absorbed or released as latent heat. For instance, when water evaporates into steam, it absorbs latent heat from the surrounding environment, which helps cool down the area. Conversely, when steam condenses back into water, it releases that same latent heat, which can be harnessed for heating purposes.

Understanding latent heat is essential for effectively managing thermal energy in refrigeration systems because it directly impacts the efficiency and performance of these systems, allowing the design and operation of cooling mechanisms to be optimized.