How is latent heat different from sensible heat?

Latent heat is the heat required to change the state of a substance without changing its temperature.

Sensible heat is the heat required to change the temperature of a substance without changing its state. When a substance is heated, its temperature increases as the heat is absorbed. This is sensible heat. The amount of sensible heat required to raise the temperature of a substance depends on its specific heat capacity.

Latent heat, on the other hand, is the heat required to change the state of a substance without changing its temperature. When a substance changes state, such as from a solid to a liquid or from a liquid to a gas, energy is required to break the bonds between its molecules. This energy is absorbed as latent heat, and it does not cause a change in temperature.

The amount of latent heat required to change the state of a substance depends on its specific latent heat, which is the amount of energy required to change the state of one kilogram of the substance. For example, the specific latent heat of fusion is the amount of energy required to change one kilogram of a solid substance into a liquid.

In summary, sensible heat is the heat required to change the temperature of a substance, while latent heat is the heat required to change the state of a substance. Both sensible and latent heat are important concepts in thermodynamics and are used to understand the behaviour of materials and energy transfer.