Which description correctly defines Sensible Heat (SH)?

• A. Energy exchanged due to a change in temperature (not involving phase changes).
• B. Energy associated with phase changes only.
• C. Total energy including latent energy.
• D. Energy from chemical reactions.

Answer: (A)

Sensible heat is the energy transferred that changes the temperature of a substance without changing its phase. It depends on mass, the substance’s specific heat, and the temperature change, and is described by q = m · c_p · ΔT. This is the heat you feel as a temperature rise or drop, without any melting, freezing, boiling, or other phase change occurring. When a phase change does happen, the energy goes into changing the phase (latent heat) rather than increasing temperature, which is why that portion isn’t included in sensible heat. The other options either describe energy used for phase changes (latent heat), total energy including latent energy, or energy from chemical reactions, none of which define sensible heat.