Simple physics, How many calories of heat does it take to melt 1 cubic meter of ice? I know it would be a ...?

specific heat of water is 4.186 kJ/kgC

specific heat of ice is 2.06 kJ/kgC

specific heat of steam is 2.1 kJ/kgK

heat of fusion of ice is 334 kJ/kg

density of fresh water at 20C = 0.998 g/cm³

= 998 kg/m³ = 8.33 lb/gal = 62.1 lb/ft³

density of ice at 0C = 0.917 g/cm³ = 917 kg/m³

= 7.64 lb / US gal

1 m³ x 917 kg/m³ = 917 kg

assuming the ice is at 0ºC

E = 334 kJ/kg x 917 kg = 306000 kJ of energy

converting to calories (which are obsolete) that is 7.32e7

or 7.32e4 kcal or 73200 kcal

If you really want to do this on your own, use electric energy as that can be precisely measured.

And I'd use a much smaller sample than 1 m³, say 100 cm³, which is

100 cm³ x 1 m³/100³ cm³ x 917 kg/m³ = (917)(100)(1/1000000) = 0.0917 kg

that is 10000 times smaller, so the energy would be 30.6 kJ

Put the ice in a well insulated container, with the small electric heater. A light bulb would do if you can avoid getting it wet. Measure the voltage and current and time it takes to melt the ice.

If you used a 12 volt auto headlight that used 5 amps (which avoids the hazards of high voltage) that is 60 watts or 60 J/s

30.6 kJ / 60 J/s = 510 sec

Calculate mass = density * volume=900*1=900 kg

heat= mass *latent heat of fusion of ice

=900*3.4*10^5

=3.06*10^8 J

The calculation is very easy.

1. Calculate mass = density * volume

2. Calculate heat energy = mass * heat of fusion of ice