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The heat of fusion is the amount of energy required to change 1 gram of a substance from solid to liquid without changing its temperature. The heat of vaporization is the amount of energy required to change 1 gram of a substance from liquid to gas. For water, these values are typically 334 J/g and 2260 J/g respectively.
The calculator uses the heat equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation calculates the total energy required to first melt and then vaporize a given mass of substance.
Details: These calculations are crucial in thermodynamics, chemistry, and engineering applications involving phase changes, such as in refrigeration systems, power plants, and climate studies.
Tips: Enter mass in grams, heat of fusion in J/g (default is 334 for water), and heat of vaporization in J/g (default is 2260 for water). All values must be positive numbers.
Q1: Why are the default values for water?
A: Water is the most common substance for these calculations, with well-established values for its heat of fusion and vaporization.
Q2: Can I use this for other substances?
A: Yes, simply input the appropriate values for heat of fusion and vaporization for your specific substance.
Q3: Does this account for temperature changes?
A: No, this only calculates the energy for phase changes at constant temperature. Additional calculations would be needed for temperature changes.
Q4: What are typical values for other substances?
A: Most substances have much lower values than water. For example, ethanol has fusion ~109 J/g and vaporization ~841 J/g.
Q5: Why is water's heat of vaporization so high?
A: Water's strong hydrogen bonds require significant energy to break during vaporization, making its heat of vaporization unusually high.