Specific latent heat (E = m L)
AQA GCSE Physics calculation · part of the free Calculation Climb
Energy to melt or boil a substance with no temperature change: E = m L, where L is the specific latent heat (J/kg). It is in both Combined Science: Trilogy and separate Physics, at both tiers (AQA 8464 §6.3.2.3 and 8463 §4.3.2.3).
How to do it — step by step
- E = m L.
- Rearrange: m = E ÷ L, or L = E ÷ m.
Worked example
Melt 2 kg of ice, L = 334 000 J/kg.
E = 2 × 334 000 = 668 000 J
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