Sensible heat is...

Sensible heat is...

• A. Heat stored during phase change.
• B. Heat produced by chemical reactions.
• C. Heat transferred by radiation.
• D. The heat we can feel and measure with a thermometer.

Answer: (D)

Sensible heat is the heat that changes the temperature of a substance in a way you can sense with a thermometer. When you add sensible heat, the temperature rises; when you remove it, the temperature falls. This is different from latent heat, which is the heat involved in changing the substance’s phase (for example, melting or boiling) where the temperature stays the same during the phase change. That’s why the statement about heat you can feel and measure with a thermometer best captures sensible heat. The other ideas describe latent heat (heat stored during a phase change), heat from chemical reactions, or a mode of heat transfer rather than the heat’s effect.

Sensible heat is the heat that changes the temperature of a substance in a way you can sense with a thermometer. When you add sensible heat, the temperature rises; when you remove it, the temperature falls. This is different from latent heat, which is the heat involved in changing the substance’s phase (for example, melting or boiling) where the temperature stays the same during the phase change. That’s why the statement about heat you can feel and measure with a thermometer best captures sensible heat. The other ideas describe latent heat (heat stored during a phase change), heat from chemical reactions, or a mode of heat transfer rather than the heat’s effect.