The heat absorbed by water when changing from liquid to steam at the boiling point is called _______?

The correct term for the heat absorbed by water when it changes from liquid to steam at the boiling point is latent heat. This process occurs at a constant temperature and pressure, specifically at the boiling point, where added heat goes into breaking the molecular bonds in the liquid rather than increasing the temperature.

Latent heat represents the energy required for the phase change without any change in temperature, which is essential in understanding how steam generation and condensation processes work in various applications, such as boilers and heat exchangers.

Sensible heat, in contrast, refers to the heat exchanged that results in a temperature change without a phase change. Specific heat is a measure of how much heat energy is needed to raise the temperature of a unit mass of a substance by a certain amount, typically 1 degree Celsius. Thermal energy is a broader term that encompasses all energy related to the temperature of a substance, including both sensible and latent heat, but does not specifically refer to the heat associated with phase changes.