Heating / Cooling Curves


The diagram on the left shows the uptake of heat by 1 kg of water, as it passes from ice at -50 ºC to steam at temperatures above 100 ºC, affects the temperature of the sample.
A: Rise in temperature as ice absorbs heat.
B: Absorption of latent heat of fusion.
C: Rise in temperature as liquid water absorbs heat.
D: Water boils and absorbs latent heat of vaporization.
E: Steam absorbs heat and thus increases its temperature.
The above is an example of a heating curve. One could reverse the process, and obtain a cooling curve. The flat portions of such curves indicate the phase changes