As the water in the ice cube tray undergoes a phase change from liquid to solid, the energy change that occurs in the particles is a release of energy in the form of heat. This process is called freezing or solidification.
When water cools down and begins to freeze, the kinetic energy of the water molecules decreases as they lose thermal energy. As the temperature drops, the molecules slow down and begin to arrange themselves into a more ordered structure, forming solid ice. This release of energy is also referred to as the latent heat of fusion. In summary, the water molecules release energy as they transition from a higher-energy liquid state to a lower-energy solid state.
1 answer