Vaporelle: Latent Heat of Vaporization
Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics arc, page 53 of 193. Back to The Pixelated Physics Universe
Who they are
Vaporelle has one line, and says it often: “Heating: 419 kj. leaving: 2257 kj.”
Vaporelle is a character of the Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics arc: drawn in pixels, ruled by one piece of real physics, and never allowed to break it.
The physics
Heating water from 0 to 100 °C takes about 419 kJ/kg; vaporising it takes about 2257 kJ/kg.
$$ \begin{gathered} Q = m c \,\Delta T \\ Q = m L_v \end{gathered} $$
| Symbol | Meaning | SI unit |
|---|---|---|
| $Q$ | heat | J |
| $m$ | mass | kg |
| $c$ | specific heat capacity (isobaric, c_p) | J kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ |
| $\Delta T$ | temperature change, T_2 − T_1 | K |
| $L_v$ | specific latent heat of vaporisation | J kg⁻¹ |
| $Note$ | the mug's figures are per kg of water: 419 kJ ≈ c·ΔT for 0→100 °C (≈ 4.19 kJ kg⁻¹ K⁻¹ × 100 K), 2257 kJ = L_v at 100 °C | kJ/kg |
Sources
Crossovers
Vaporelle meets Summitbrew (Boiling Point at Altitude). Vaporelle pays 2257 kJ/kg to boil water away. Summitbrew boils at a lower temperature on the mountain because the pressure is lower. The latent heat barely changes, but the boiling point does.
Vaporelle meets Sublimora (Triple Point Sublimation). Vaporelle crosses from liquid to gas. Below the triple-point pressure, Sublimora skips the liquid entirely, and the heat of sublimation equals the heats of fusion and vaporisation combined.
Vaporelle meets Rimstain (Coffee Ring Effect). Rimstain's outward flow happens because evaporation is fastest at the pinned edge of the drop. Vaporelle sets the energy price of every molecule that leaves: water's latent heat.
Wear the lore
Concept keywords: Latent Heat of Vaporization, Vaporelle, Thermodynamics & Statistical Physics, physics lore, Pixelated Physics