What is the term used for heat that causes a change in temperature of a substance?

The term that refers to heat causing a change in the temperature of a substance is known as sensible heat. Sensible heat is the energy transfer that produces a measurable change in temperature without changing the phase of the substance. For instance, when heating water from 20°C to 100°C, the energy supplied to the water during this process is considered sensible heat because it increases the water's temperature.

In contrast, latent heat pertains to the energy absorbed or released during a phase change—such as from liquid to gas—without a change in temperature. Superheat is a specific term used for the temperature of a vapor above its boiling point at a given pressure, often used in refrigeration and air conditioning contexts. Conduction is a method of heat transfer through materials, but it does not describe the heating process as directly impacting temperature change. Thus, sensible heat is the most accurate term in this context related to temperature change.