When ice at 0°C (273 K) melts into water at 0°C, it absorbs heat from its surroundings. This absorbed heat, known as the latent heat of fusion (approximately 334 kJ/kg for water), is used to break the bonds holding the water molecules in a fixed solid structure and transition to the liquid phase, without causing a change in temperature. Therefore, water at 0°C possesses this latent heat energy in addition to the energy contained in ice at 0°C. When ice is used for cooling, it absorbs heat to melt, providing significant cooling due to the latent heat. The resulting water then absorbs further heat as its temperature rises. When water at 0°C is used for cooling, it only absorbs heat as its temperature rises, which provides less cooling capacity compared to the phase change process of ice.
Water at 273 K is less effective in cooling than ice at the same temperature. It is because :
Asked in UPSC CAPF 2016 · Topic: Heat and Thermodynamics (Calorimetry and Phase Changes (Specific Heat, Latent Heat))
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Answer: C. water at 273 K has more energy than ice at the same temperature
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