Hi asfixious,
Welcome to the HVAC Group!
Latent heat is hidden heat and sensible heat can be detected by our sense of touch or measured by a thermometer.
The heat which when added to or removed from a substance will change the temperature of the substance, without change of state, is called sensible heat.
When water is heated from 32 degrees F to 212 degrees F, an increase in sensible heat occurs. By definition of a BTU, one BTU will change the temperature of one pound of water 1 degree F.
Heat must be added to a solid to cause a change of state to a liquid; heat must be added to a liquid to cause a change of state to a vapor. Conversely, heat removal is required to change a vapor to a liquid or a liquid to a solid. The amount of heat to be added or removed to cause a change of state is called latent heat. The word latent means hidden or unseen. Latent heat cannot be detected by our sense of touch, or by a thermometer, and so is hidden.