1. What are Heating and Cooling Curves?

Heating and cooling curves describe temperature changes during phase transitions. Sensible heat causes temperature change without phase change, while latent heat causes phase change at constant temperature.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses two fundamental equations:

Where:

• \( Q \) — Heat energy (J)
• \( m \) — Mass (kg)
• \( c \) — Specific heat capacity (J/kg·K)
• \( \Delta T \) — Temperature change (K)
• \( h_{fg} \) — Latent heat of fusion/vaporization (J/kg)

Explanation: Sensible heat calculations are used when temperature changes without phase transition. Latent heat calculations are used during phase changes (melting, freezing, vaporization, condensation).

3. Importance of Heat Calculations

Details: Accurate heat calculations are essential for thermal system design, energy efficiency analysis, materials processing, and understanding thermodynamic processes in various engineering applications.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Select calculation type first. For sensible heat, enter mass, specific heat capacity, and temperature change. For latent heat, enter mass and latent heat value. All values must be positive.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between sensible and latent heat?
A: Sensible heat changes temperature, latent heat changes phase at constant temperature.

Q2: What are typical specific heat values?
A: Water: 4186 J/kg·K, Aluminum: 900 J/kg·K, Iron: 450 J/kg·K, Copper: 385 J/kg·K.

Q3: What are common latent heat values?
A: Water fusion: 334,000 J/kg, Water vaporization: 2,260,000 J/kg.

Q4: Can I calculate both sensible and latent heat together?
A: For complete heating/cooling processes, calculate sensible heat for temperature changes and latent heat for phase transitions separately, then sum them.

Q5: Why use Kelvin for temperature change?
A: Kelvin and Celsius degrees are equal in magnitude for temperature differences, but Kelvin avoids negative values in calculations.