What is the relationship between specific heat and latent heat in the context of thermal energy transfer?

Specific heat and latent heat are both properties of a substance that determine how it absorbs or releases thermal energy. Specific heat refers to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance by a certain amount, while latent heat is the amount of heat needed to change the state of a substance without a change in temperature. In thermal energy transfer, specific heat affects the temperature change of a substance, while latent heat is involved in phase changes such as melting or boiling.