What is "sensible heat"?

Sensible heat is defined as the amount of heat that causes a change in temperature of a substance without causing a change in its phase. When heat is added to or removed from a substance, and its temperature changes as a result, this is referred to as sensible heat. For instance, when you heat water on a stove, the temperature of the water rises—this is due to the input of sensible heat.

In practical applications, understanding sensible heat is crucial for refrigeration engineers as it directly impacts the efficiency and performance of HVAC systems. Knowing how to manage and transfer sensible heat helps in maintaining comfortable indoor climates and optimizing energy use.

The other choices relate to heat in different contexts: heat that maintains pressure and heat causing a phase change refer to latent heat processes, while invisible heat is not a standard terminology used in thermodynamics. These concepts are important but distinct from sensible heat.