how can the temperature of a substance remain the same even if the substance is absording thermal energy???? please help...I cannot find it in my book so I thought someone might kno....
2006-09-25 11:07:31 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
During a phase change, a substance can absorb heat/thermal energy but its temperature remains constant.
This is due to the fact that as the phase change occurs, the substance is overcoming the latent heat associated with that change.
An example would be boiling liquid water into steam. At 1 atm of pressure, pure water boils at 100 degrees C. After water begins to boil, its temperature remains constant as it continues to absorb heat energy. Once the water boils into steam, the steam (also at 100 degrees C) can then be heated further to increase its temperature.
Someone else gave a similar example of ice melting into liquid water...same thing, just instead of going from a liquid to gas the substance went from solid to liquid.
The process works in reverse too.
As a substance looses heat energy, its temperature will remain constant during a phase change (such as when liquid water freezes into ice).
2006-09-25 11:14:52 · answer #1 · answered by mrjeffy321 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Consider the melting of ice. It is absorbing heat, but the temperature is not changing.
2006-09-25 11:10:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Because it could be going through a physical change (ex. liquid to gas, solid to liquid, solid to gas)
2006-09-25 11:16:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it could also be using the energy in a reaction
2006-09-25 11:11:37 · answer #4 · answered by Hopeful Poster 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
It can also be radiating that same energy away.
2006-09-25 11:10:24 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋