How much electricity does it take to melt 1 cubic meter of ice?

Answer 1

This is too complicated to give a complete answer, but how about this to start with. When ice melts it changes it's state from solid to a liquid . Water can have a temperature of zero centigrade and ice can have a temperature of zero centigrade . To change it's state from ice to water, or water to ice there is a considerable amount of 'heat' involved . Heat is measured in a unit called the Calorie . To change ice back to water it must absorb heat energy. It requires about 80 Calories of heat per gram of ice, just to melt it all. This heat energy is called the 'Latent heat of Fusion'. There is no change in temperature whatever, when the zero degrees Ice changes to zero degree water. There is simply a lot of 'heat' exchanged. I will let you calculate how many grams of ice in a cubic Metre, but it is an enormous quantity of grams . When you get the answer, multiply it by 80 and that is the number of calories of heat energy needed to do the job. Now you will need to calculate the number of Watts of electrical energy needed to perform the task of supplying all that heat. There is a direct relationship between watts of electrical energy, and calories of heat energy. Be very aware that temperature and heat are totally different things, having totally different units.