Why does water at 0 degree Celsius has more heat than ice at zero degr...
Introduction
Water and ice are two different states of the same substance, which is H2O. When we compare the heat content of both water and ice, we find that water at 0 degrees Celsius has more heat than ice at 0 degrees Celsius. This phenomenon can be explained with the help of the concept of specific heat.
Specific heat of water and ice
Specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by 1 degree Celsius per unit mass. The specific heat of water is higher than that of ice, which means that water requires more heat to raise its temperature by 1 degree Celsius than ice.
Latent heat of fusion
Latent heat of fusion is the amount of heat required to melt a solid substance at its melting point. When ice is heated to its melting point of 0 degrees Celsius, it absorbs heat energy from the surroundings, but its temperature remains constant at 0 degrees Celsius until all the ice has melted. During this process, the heat energy absorbed by the ice is used to break the intermolecular bonds between the water molecules, thereby allowing the molecules to move freely and form a liquid. This heat energy absorbed by the ice is called the latent heat of fusion.
Heat content of water and ice at 0 degrees Celsius
When water at 0 degrees Celsius is compared to ice at 0 degrees Celsius, we find that water has more heat content than ice. This is because the water has absorbed the latent heat of fusion when it was converted from ice to water. This latent heat of fusion is stored as potential energy in the water molecules, which contributes to the heat content of water.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the specific heat of water is higher than that of ice, and the latent heat of fusion is the amount of heat required to melt a solid substance at its melting point. When ice is heated to its melting point, it absorbs heat energy to break the intermolecular bonds between the water molecules, and this absorbed heat energy is called the latent heat of fusion. When water at 0 degrees Celsius is compared to ice at 0 degrees Celsius, we find that water has more heat content than ice because the water has absorbed the latent heat of fusion when it was converted from ice to water.
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