When matter turns from a solid to a liquid as heat is added, this process is called?

When matter turns from a solid to a liquid as heat is added, this process is called?

• A. Melting
• B. Freezing
• C. Evaporation
• D. Energy

Answer: (A)

Melting is the process by which a solid becomes a liquid when heat is added. In a solid, particles are held in a rigid structure and only jiggle in place. When you supply heat, the particles gain kinetic energy, moving more vigorously until the forces holding the solid together can’t keep them in a fixed arrangement. At the melting point, the solid’s structure breaks down enough that the particles can slide past one another, forming a liquid that flows. A familiar example is ice turning into water as it warms to 0°C at standard pressure. Freezing is the opposite change (liquid to solid), evaporation is when a liquid becomes a gas, and energy is just a form of input, not a phase change.

Melting is the process by which a solid becomes a liquid when heat is added. In a solid, particles are held in a rigid structure and only jiggle in place. When you supply heat, the particles gain kinetic energy, moving more vigorously until the forces holding the solid together can’t keep them in a fixed arrangement. At the melting point, the solid’s structure breaks down enough that the particles can slide past one another, forming a liquid that flows. A familiar example is ice turning into water as it warms to 0°C at standard pressure. Freezing is the opposite change (liquid to solid), evaporation is when a liquid becomes a gas, and energy is just a form of input, not a phase change.