What does steam give up in the radiators, convectors, and coils?

When steam circulates through radiators, convectors, and coils, it primarily gives up latent heat. Latent heat is the heat energy that is absorbed or released by a substance during a phase change, such as when steam condenses into water.

In the case of the heating systems, steam, which is a vapor, enters the heating elements and cools down as it releases heat to the surrounding air or surfaces. This process allows the steam to change from its gaseous state back into liquid water, thus giving off latent heat. This heat is used to warm up the space, providing efficient heating.

In contrast, sensible heat refers to the heat exchanged by a substance when its temperature changes without a change in phase, which does not apply directly to the steam's primary mechanism of heat transfer in these systems. Potential energy and kinetic energy concepts are less relevant in this context since the emphasis is on heat released during phase transition rather than motion or position energy. Therefore, because of these properties, the correct identification of the heat released by steam in heating systems is indeed latent heat.