Heat energy during the change of state from vapor to liquid is called what?

• A. Latent Heat of Vaporization
• B. Latent Heat of Fusion
• C. Latent Heat of Condensation
• D. Specific Heat

Answer: (C)

Condensation releases heat as a vapor becomes a liquid, and the amount of heat released per unit mass during this phase change is called latent heat of condensation. This term specifically describes the energy exchange during the transition from gas to liquid, not the energy needed to go from liquid to gas or from solid to liquid. The latent heat of vaporization describes the energy required to vaporize a liquid into a gas, while the latent heat of fusion is the energy required to melt a solid into a liquid. Specific heat is the energy needed to raise the temperature of a substance without changing its phase. So the heat energy during the change from vapor to liquid is latent heat of condensation.