成人论坛

Freezing and melting

Solids, liquids and gases change state when they are heated or cooled.

Watch: The temperatures for freezing and melting

Find out about these reversible processes.

Back to top

Heating up a solid

 Square character looking at a glass of ice.
Image caption,
As the ice heats up, it melts and turns into water.

When some solids are heated, they melt and turns into a liquid. For example, wax and ice melt when they are heated. The temperature this happens at is called the melting point, and it is measured in degrees Celsius (掳C).

The melting point of ice (solid water) is 0 degrees Celsius (0掳C). Different materials have different melting points. Chocolate melts at around 35掳C.

 Square character looking at a glass of ice.
Image caption,
As the ice heats up, it melts and turns into water.
Back to top

Cooling down a liquid

Image caption,
The temperature is below 0掳C in freezers so that they can make ice.

When a liquid is cooled, it freezes and turns into a solid. For example, water freezes into ice in puddles on a very cold day. Freezing happens at the same temperature as the melting point.

Back to top

Watch: Evaporation and condensation

Watch and learn about turning liquids to gasses... and turning them back again!

Back to top

Heating up a liquid

Image caption,
We can boil water in a pan to cook food.

When a liquid is heated it boils and turns into a gas. For example, if water is heated in a pan or in a kettle, it boils and turns into steam.

The temperature this happens at is called the boiling point. The boiling point of water is 100掳C. The boiling point of ethanol (alcohol) is 78掳C.

If you heat water slowly at a lower temperature than boiling point, then the water on the surface will evaporate. For example the Sun may heat up water in a puddle and it will slowly evaporate. The puddle may evaporate quicker on a very hot day, if it was windy or the water was spread out thinly across the surface.

Image caption,
We can boil water in a pan to cook food.
Back to top

Cooling down a gas

When a gas is cooled, it condenses, and changes into a liquid. For example, the steam from a boiling pan turns into condensation on a cold window in the kitchen.

Condensing happens at the same temperature as the boiling point.

Watch: Evaporation and condensation recap

Learn about evaporation and condensation.

Back to top

Activity 1: Changing states

Back to top

Activity 2: Changing states quiz

Back to top

Activity 3: Investigating changing states

How many examples changing of states can you think of?

FromToHow
Ice creamsolidliquidmelting

Try to think of at least 5 more. Record your results in a table like the one above.

Back to top

Bitesize Primary games. game

Play fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art, computing and modern languages.

Bitesize Primary games
Back to top

More on States of matter

Find out more by working through a topic