When water is turned into steam, which type of heat is involved?

The process of turning water into steam involves latent heat, which is the heat energy required for a phase change to occur without a change in temperature. When water is heated, it reaches a certain temperature (100 degrees Celsius at standard atmospheric pressure) where it begins to change from a liquid to a vapor. This specific heat energy added during this phase change does not raise the temperature of the water; instead, it is used to break the molecular bonds that hold the liquid together, allowing it to transition into steam.

Sensible heat refers to the heat required to change the temperature of a substance without changing its phase. In this case, while heating water up to its boiling point involves sensible heat, the actual transformation from water to steam, the phase change, specifically utilizes latent heat. Thus, the term latent heat is essential in understanding this phase transition from liquid to gas.