STEM与日常科技·英语30篇（3）
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Latent Heat of Phase Change and the Boiling Plateau
相变潜热与烧水沸腾平台期
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When water reaches 100°C at sea level, temperature stops rising—even with steady heat—until all liquid becomes steam.
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That pause happens because energy flows not into raising temperature, but into breaking molecular bonds during phase change.
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This stored energy is called latent heat: 2260 kJ per kilogram, over five times more than needed to warm water from 0°C to 100°C.
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Steam burns are worse than boiling water burns precisely because steam releases all that latent heat instantly on skin.
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Refrigerators exploit the reverse: compressing gas into liquid releases latent heat outside; expanding liquid into gas absorbs heat inside.
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Geysers erupt when underground water absorbs latent heat from rock, builds pressure, then flashes to steam explosively.
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Cooking pasta evenly depends on maintaining rolling boil—ensuring constant energy input matches latent heat demand.
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Phase-change materials in building walls absorb daytime heat as they melt, then release it slowly at night—stabilizing indoor temperatures.