What term describes the amount of heat energy that must be removed from a liquid to turn it into a solid?

What term describes the amount of heat energy that must be removed from a liquid to turn it into a solid?

• A. High Specific Heat
• B. High Heat of Vaporization
• C. High Heat of Fusion
• D. Surface Tension

Answer: (C)

The term that describes the amount of heat energy that must be removed from a liquid to turn it into a solid is known as the heat of fusion. This concept refers specifically to the energy needed to change a substance from a liquid to a solid at its melting point, during which temperature remains constant while the phase change occurs. For example, when liquid water freezes to form ice, heat energy is removed, resulting in the transition of water molecules into a more ordered structure characteristic of a solid. In this context, the other options do not pertain to the process of solidification. High specific heat refers to the ability of a substance to absorb heat without changing temperature significantly, which is not directly related to phase changes. High heat of vaporization refers to the energy required to convert a liquid into a gas, which is similar but not applicable to the process of freezing. Surface tension describes the cohesive forces at the surface of a liquid, which relate to molecular interaction rather than thermal energy changes during phase transitions. Thus, the correct understanding of heat of fusion is essential for grasping phase change processes in thermodynamics.

The term that describes the amount of heat energy that must be removed from a liquid to turn it into a solid is known as the heat of fusion. This concept refers specifically to the energy needed to change a substance from a liquid to a solid at its melting point, during which temperature remains constant while the phase change occurs. For example, when liquid water freezes to form ice, heat energy is removed, resulting in the transition of water molecules into a more ordered structure characteristic of a solid.

In this context, the other options do not pertain to the process of solidification. High specific heat refers to the ability of a substance to absorb heat without changing temperature significantly, which is not directly related to phase changes. High heat of vaporization refers to the energy required to convert a liquid into a gas, which is similar but not applicable to the process of freezing. Surface tension describes the cohesive forces at the surface of a liquid, which relate to molecular interaction rather than thermal energy changes during phase transitions. Thus, the correct understanding of heat of fusion is essential for grasping phase change processes in thermodynamics.