Question

Which energy is stored as latent heat?

Answer 1

In order to figure out which energy is consumed during latent heat, firstly we should know about latent heat. In thermodynamics, latent heat is the amount of heat energy which is needed to convert a solid substance into liquid substance or a liquid substance into gaseous substance while keeping the temperature of the substance constant.Now we will discuss the type of energy which is consumed during latent heat.

Complete answer:
As we know, Thermal energy is the form of energy which is possessed by a body due to its temperature and this energy is mainly due to atomic vibrations of the molecules of substance which thus produce heat in the form of its temperature and thus having thermal energy.

During latent heat, the physical state of the substance gets changed and during this either the heat is absorbed or lost by the substance which results in either increase or decrease in the temperature of the body, hence due to this temperature thermal energy gets stored as latent heat of the substance.

Hence, thermal energy is stored as latent heat.

Note: It should be remembered that, in general Latent heat is of two types: Latent heat of fusing which means energy needed to convert solid substance in a liquid and other is latent heat of evaporation which means energy needed to convert liquid substance in to gaseous substance. The standard SI unit of energy is known as Joules.