Latent heat is the amount of heat energy required to change the state of a substance from one phase to another, such as from solid to liquid or liquid to gas, without changing its temperature.
The latent heat of fusion is the amount of heat energy required to change a substance from a solid to a liquid state, while the latent heat of vaporization is the amount of heat energy required to change a substance from a liquid to a gas state. Both involve a change in state but at different temperatures.
Latent heat is related to stoichiometry because it is a factor that must be taken into account when calculating the heat energy involved in a chemical reaction. The amount of latent heat released or absorbed during a reaction can affect the temperature of the reaction and the amount of product that is formed.
Latent heat plays a significant role in everyday life as it is involved in many natural processes and technologies. For example, the melting and freezing of ice, the boiling and condensation of water, and the evaporation and condensation of sweat all involve latent heat. In technology, the use of refrigerants in air conditioning and refrigeration systems also relies on the latent heat of vaporization.
Latent heat is typically measured in units of joules (J) or calories (cal) and is expressed as either latent heat of fusion or latent heat of vaporization. The specific latent heat is the amount of heat energy required to change the state of a unit mass (per gram or per mole) of a substance. The molar latent heat is the amount of heat energy required to change the state of one mole of a substance. These values can be found in reference books or measured using calorimetry experiments.