What does latent heat refer to?

Latent heat refers to the amount of energy absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change without a change in temperature. It is primarily associated with processes such as melting, boiling, or condensing, where energy is required to break bonds between molecules or to allow them to come together.

Humidity, which is the amount of water vapor present in the air, is directly linked to latent heat because when water vapor condenses into liquid or freezes into ice, latent heat is released into the atmosphere. This phenomenon significantly impacts weather patterns and climate, as the release of latent heat during the condensation of water vapor contributes to the energy available for storm systems and influences temperatures.

In contrast, temperature, pressure, and velocity do not encapsulate the concept of latent heat; they refer to different physical properties of substances and the atmosphere. Temperature is a measure of how hot or cold something is, pressure relates to the force exerted by a substance, and velocity measures the speed of an object. Thus, the connection between latent heat and humidity makes the latter the correct answer in this context.