Adding or removing energy in the form of heat causes the phase change. The amount of heat to be added or removed is called latent heat. It changes the state of a substance without changing it's temperature.
There are two types of latent heat. The latent heat of fusion, and the latent heat of vaporization.
The latent heat of fusion must be added to change phase from solid to liquid, and removed to change from liquid to solid. The first change is endothermic and the second change is exothermic.
The latent heat of vaporization must be added to change phase from liquid to vapor, and removed to change from vapor to liquid. Again the first change is endothermic and the second change is exothermic.
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During phase changes, energy is either absorbed or released in the form of heat. This energy is used to break or form intermolecular forces between particles. As a result, temperature remains constant during the phase change until all the substance has transitioned to the new phase.
The heat of fusion is the energy required to change a substance from a solid to a liquid, while the heat of vaporization is the energy needed to change a substance from a liquid to a gas. Both are types of phase changes that require specific amounts of energy to occur.
A change in energy, such as heating or cooling, always accompanies a phase change in matter. This energy is required to break or form intermolecular forces between particles in order to change the physical state of the material.
The heat of vaporization is the energy required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas, while the heat of fusion is the energy needed to change a substance from a solid to a liquid. Both play a role in phase changes by providing the necessary energy to break intermolecular forces and transition between states of matter.
The phase changes that are exothermic are freezing, condensation, and deposition. These phase changes release heat energy as they transition from a higher energy state to a lower energy state.
A congruent phase transformation occurs when a single phase changes into another single phase with the same composition. An incongruent phase transformation happens when a single phase changes into multiple phases with different compositions.