Latent heat refers to the heat per unit mass that is absorbed or released during a phase change of a substance while its temperature remains constant. During transitions from solid to liquid, denoted as melting or fusion, and from liquid to gas, referred to as vaporization, heat is absorbed or released in significant amounts. The quantity of heat required for phase change can be calculated using the formula Q = mL where Q is the heat, m is the mass of the substance undergoing the change, and L is the latent heat (a characteristic property of the substance). The latent heat of fusion relates to the solid-liquid transition, while the latent heat of vaporization pertains to the liquid-gas transition. Importantly, these phase changes occur at the respective melting and boiling points of the substance, where the addition or removal of heat does not increase the temperature until the entire phase transition is complete. For water, for instance, the latent heat of fusion is around 3.33 × 10^5 J/kg and the latent heat of vaporization is about 22.6 × 10^5 J/kg.