How do I read a heating curve?

Start at the lower left. The first rising segment is the solid warming. The first flat plateau is the melting point where solid converts to liquid. The next rising segment is the liquid warming. The second flat plateau is the boiling point where liquid converts to gas. The final rising segment is the gas warming. The temperature at each plateau gives you the melting and boiling points of the substance.

Is the heating curve generator free?

Yes. Every account starts with free credits you can use straight away. Buying any pay-as-you-go credit pack removes the watermark and unlocks higher resolutions. Credits never expire.

Why are there flat plateaus on a heating curve?

The flat plateaus occur because of latent heat. At the melting point and boiling point, all the added energy goes into breaking intermolecular bonds and driving the phase change rather than raising the temperature. Temperature stays constant until the phase change is complete, then rises again.

What is the difference between a heating curve and a cooling curve?

A heating curve shows temperature rising as heat is added, with two flat plateaus at the melting point and boiling point where phase changes absorb energy. A cooling curve is the reverse: temperature falls as heat is removed, with plateaus at the condensation point and freezing point where phase changes release energy. The plateau temperatures are the same for both curves for a given substance.

Can I use the heating curve generator for chemistry class?

Yes. You can download a high-resolution PNG (up to 4K) for printed worksheets, slides, and study guides. The blank template option is especially useful for creating fill-in diagrams. As an AI tool it is ideal for practice and teaching; double-check labeled values against your textbook before high-stakes use, and diagrams from a paid account can be used in your own teaching materials.

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Heating Curve Generator Heating Curves

Describe any substance and get a clean, labeled heating curve diagram in seconds, with all five segments annotated, flat plateaus marked, and melting and boiling points called out. Perfect for chemistry class, worksheets, and slides.

Last updated: 2026-06-21

✓All 5 segments labeled✓Phase-change plateaus shown✓Melting & boiling points marked✓Slide & print ready

Heating Curve Generator

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Heating Curve Examples

Browse heating and cooling curve diagrams made with Figviz, or generate your own above

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Heating Curve of Water (All 5 Segments)

A complete heating curve for water from -20 C to 120 C with every segment and plateau labeled.

waterphase changelabeled

Cooling Curve of Water

A cooling curve for water with condensation and freezing plateaus labeled and arrows showing heat released.

cooling curvewaterfreezing

Heating Curve with Phase Labels and Plateaus

Color-coded heating curve with each phase region shaded and the two plateau regions highlighted.

phase labelsplateauscolorful

Heating Curve Annotated with Melting and Boiling Points

Heating curve with dashed reference lines indicating the exact melting point and boiling point of the substance.

melting pointboiling pointannotated

Heating Curve Showing Latent Heat Plateaus

Diagram highlighting latent heat of fusion and latent heat of vaporization as horizontal brackets on the curve.

latent heatfusionvaporization

Blank Heating Curve Template for Worksheets

A blank heating curve worksheet template with axis labels and curve outline, ready for student annotation.

blank templateworksheetstudent

What is a heating curve?

A heating curve is a graph that shows how the temperature of a substance changes as heat is added at a constant rate. The y-axis represents temperature and the x-axis represents heat added (or time under constant heating). The distinctive feature is the flat plateaus that appear at the melting point and boiling point, where added energy drives a phase change rather than raising the temperature. A standard heating curve has five segments: the solid warming, the melting plateau, the liquid warming, the boiling plateau, and the gas warming. Figviz generates a clean, labeled diagram from a plain description so you can focus on understanding the chemistry rather than drawing the graph by hand.

How to read and make a heating curve

Identify the axes: temperature (C or K) goes on the y-axis; heat added (or time) goes on the x-axis.

Locate the two flat plateaus, the melting plateau and the boiling plateau, where temperature stays constant during a phase change.

Read the melting point from the start of the first plateau and the boiling point from the start of the second plateau.

Count the five segments: solid warming, melting, liquid warming, boiling, gas warming.

Note the slope of each sloped segment; a steeper slope means a lower specific heat capacity for that phase.

To generate your own, describe the substance and any temperature values in the prompt, choose a style, and click Generate.

Why are there flat plateaus? Phase changes and latent heat

The flat regions on a heating curve exist because of latent heat. When a solid reaches its melting point, added energy breaks intermolecular bonds rather than increasing the average kinetic energy of the molecules, so temperature does not rise. This energy is called the latent heat of fusion. The same principle applies at the boiling point: the latent heat of vaporization must be absorbed to convert liquid to gas before the temperature climbs again. The width of each plateau on the x-axis is proportional to the latent heat of that phase transition. Substances with strong intermolecular forces (like water with its hydrogen bonds) have wide, prominent plateaus.

Tips for chemistry class and exams

Always label both axes with units when drawing a heating curve for an exam. Distinguish between specific heat capacity (the slope of a sloped segment) and latent heat (the length of a plateau). For water, memorize 0 C for the melting point and 100 C for the boiling point at standard pressure. When comparing two substances, the one with the wider plateau has higher latent heat. A cooling curve is simply the reverse: two flat plateaus appear at the condensation point and freezing point as heat is removed. Use Figviz to generate practice diagrams and tweak the prompt to explore different substances or mark specific temperature values.

Frequently asked questions

A heating curve generator is a tool that creates a labeled temperature-vs-heat-added graph for you. With Figviz you describe the substance and any specific temperature values, and the AI draws the full curve with all five segments annotated, the flat plateaus marked, and the melting and boiling points labeled, in seconds.

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