Heating and Cooling Curves Revisited

On the previous page of Lesson 2, the heating curve of water was discussed. The heating curve showed
how the temperature of water increased over the course of time as a sample of water in its solid state
(i.e., ice) was heated. We learned that the addition of heat to the sample of water could cause either
changes in temperature or changes in state. At the melting point of water, the addition of heat causes a
transformation of the water from the solid state to the liquid state. And at the boiling point of water, the
addition of heat causes a transformation of the water from the liquid state to the gaseous state. These
changes in state occurred without any changes in temperature. However, the addition of heat to a
sample of water that is not at any phase change temperatures will result in a change in temperature.

Now we can approach the topic of heating curves on a more quantitative basis. The diagram below
represents the heating curve of water. There are five labeled sections on the plotted lines.