Which term describes the change of state from solid to liquid?

Which term describes the change of state from solid to liquid?

• A. Freezing
• B. Vaporization
• C. Melting
• D. Deposition

Answer: (C)

Melting is the change of state from solid to liquid, which happens when a solid absorbs heat and its particles gain enough energy to break free from their fixed positions. As heat is added, the solid’s temperature climbs until it reaches its melting point; then any further heat converts the solid into a liquid. This is an endothermic process because energy is being absorbed. For example, ice melts to water at 0°C under standard atmospheric conditions. Other terms describe different transitions—freezing is liquid to solid, vaporization is liquid to gas, and deposition is gas to solid—so they don’t describe a solid becoming a liquid.

Melting is the change of state from solid to liquid, which happens when a solid absorbs heat and its particles gain enough energy to break free from their fixed positions. As heat is added, the solid’s temperature climbs until it reaches its melting point; then any further heat converts the solid into a liquid. This is an endothermic process because energy is being absorbed. For example, ice melts to water at 0°C under standard atmospheric conditions. Other terms describe different transitions—freezing is liquid to solid, vaporization is liquid to gas, and deposition is gas to solid—so they don’t describe a solid becoming a liquid.