The temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid is called what?

The temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid is called what?

• A. Melting point
• B. Boiling point
• C. Freezing point
• D. Absolute zero

Answer: (D)

Freezing point is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a solid as it loses heat. At this point the molecules slow down enough to arrange into a fixed, orderly structure. For a pure substance at standard pressure, the freezing point and the melting point are the same temperature, so the liquid-to-solid change happens right at that temperature. For water, that happens at 0°C (32°F) under normal conditions. Absolute zero is a theoretical lower limit of temperature where particle motion would be minimal; it’s not the temperature at which a liquid freezes. Boiling point, in contrast, is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a gas.

Freezing point is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a solid as it loses heat. At this point the molecules slow down enough to arrange into a fixed, orderly structure. For a pure substance at standard pressure, the freezing point and the melting point are the same temperature, so the liquid-to-solid change happens right at that temperature. For water, that happens at 0°C (32°F) under normal conditions.

Absolute zero is a theoretical lower limit of temperature where particle motion would be minimal; it’s not the temperature at which a liquid freezes. Boiling point, in contrast, is the temperature at which a liquid becomes a gas.