Change of State: Latent Heat – Introduction

When substances are heated, the temperature rises, but when there is a change of state involved, there is no rise or change in temperature of the body despite the heat that is supplied.

For example, an ice block when heated melts but its temperature remains 0ºC or constant, the additional heat has no effect on the ice but only hastens the melting process or is used to convert the ice to liquid completely This heat is called the latent heat of fusion.