Freezing, Melting,

and Evaporation
SPI 0507.9.2 Describe the differences among
freezing, melting, and evaporation.
SPI 0507.9.3 Describe factors that influence the
rate at which different types of material freeze,
melt, or evaporate.

Part 1 - Definitions

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

Melting
To melt means to change
a substance from a solid
to a liquid state by
heating it to the melting
point. Different
substances melt at
different temperatures.
Water melts at 0C or
32F.

Freezing
To freeze means to
change a substance
from a liquid to a solid
state by cooling it to the
freezing point.

Temperatures

The freezing and melting temperatures for

most substances are the same.
For water this is 0C or 32F.

Read Workbook pages 180-181

Boiling Point
The boiling point is
the temperature at
which a liquid
changes to a vapor
or gas. Again this is
a different
temperature for
different substances.
For water the boiling
point is 100C or
212F.

Evaporation
Evaporation is the change
of a liquid into a vapor at
a temperature below the
boiling point. This occurs at
any temperature between
the melting point and the
boiling point. However, the
warmer the temperature
the more quickly the water
will evaporate.

Condensation
Condensation is the change
of a gas or vapor to a liquid,
either by cooling it or by
subjecting the substance to
an increase in pressure.
When water vapor cools in
the atmosphere, it condenses
into tiny drops of water which
form clouds. Read Workbook page 187

Sublimation
Sublimation is the
process of changing
from a solid to a
gas without passing
through a liquid
phase.
Read Workbook page 188

Practice
Number your paper from 1 to 10.
Decide the state or phase for each item. Is it . . .
Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

1. In which state is the snow?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

2. In which state is the puddle?

(Choose 2 answers.)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

3. In which state is the fog?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

4. In which state is the moisture on

the bottle?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

5. In which state is the puddle on the

road?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

6. In which state is the road?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

7. In which state is the moisture on

the leaf petals?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

8. In which state is the water in the tea

pot?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

9. In which state is the ice next to the

mountain?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

10. In which state is the water vapor?

a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)

Melting
Freezing
Boiling
Evaporating
Condensing
Sublimating

Answers

1. In which state is the snow?

a)

Melting

2. In which state is the puddle?

a)
b)

Melting
Freezing

3. In which state is the fog?

e) Condensing

4. In which state is the moisture on

the bottle?

e) Condensing

5. In which state is the puddle on the

road?

d) Evaporating

6. In which state is the road?

b) Freezing

7. In which state is the moisture on

the leaf petals?

e) Condensing

8. In which state is the water in the tea

pot?

c) Boiling

9. In which state is the ice next to the

mountain?

f) Sublimating

10. In which state is the water vapor?

d) Evaporating

Part 2

Factors that
influence the rate
of Evaporation

Video
video.flv
video.mp4

Factor 1 - Temperature
The higher the temperature the faster the rate
of evaporation.

Which puddle will evaporate faster?

A

Factor 2 - Wind

The more wind or air circulation the faster

the rate of evaporation.

Which puddle will evaporate faster?

A

Factor 3 Exposed Surface Area

The larger the exposed surface area the faster
the evaporation rate.
1 inch

3 inches

The water will evaporate more quickly from

the beaker on the right with the wider
opening.

If each beaker contains 8 ounces of water,

which beaker will evaporate the quickest?

Factor 4 - Humidity

When humidity (the amount of water vapor

in the air) is high, evaporation is slower.

In which location would laundry

hanging on a line dry the quickest?
A) Desert
Humidity = 30%

B) Nice Day
Humidity =60%

C) Rainy Day
Humidity = 100%

D) Tropics
Humidity = 90%

Read Workbook page 189

Online Activity
Effect of Humidity & Temperature on
Evaporation
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/Water/ac
tivities/evaporation.dcr

Part 3

Factors that
influence the rate of
Melting or Freezing

Factor 1 - Temperature
Remember the freezing/melting point of water
is 0C or 32F.
The higher the temperature the faster water
will melt.
The lower the temperature the faster water
will freeze.

Factor 2 - Size and Shape

If you have two equal masses of ice one
in a solid block and the other in smaller
pieces - the smaller pieces will melt faster.

Factor 2 - Size and Shape (cont.)

Just like with evaporation, the more surface
area exposed to heat the faster water will
melt. Likewise, the more surface area
exposed to cold, the faster water will
freeze.

In which cup will the ice melt quicker?

A

Factor 3 Conduction
Think about this. People control the
temperature of food by placing it into
styrofoam containers. Styrofoam is a poor
conductor of heat. A styrofoam container
will not change temperature quickly. This is
why when you buy a cup of hot chocolate, it
will probably come in a styrofoam cup. Your
hot chocolate will stay warm longer and
your hand will not get burned.

Heat Transfer
If you place equal amounts of hot water into
two containers - a metal container (a good
conductor of heat) and a wooden container
(a poor conductor of heat) - the water in the
metal container would cool faster.

Cold Transfer
Any time you place equal amounts of water
at the same temperature into two
containers one a good conductor of heat
and one a poor conductor of heat. The
container made from a good conductor of
heat will speed up the cooling of the water
by conduction.

In which cup could you freeze 6

ounces of water the fastest?
A) plastic

B) metal

C) Styrofoam

D) wood

Factor 4 Changing the Composition

During the cold and icy winter, you have
probably experienced salt on sidewalks and
roads. It is used to melt the ice and snow
and keep it from refreezing. The freezing
point of water becomes lower as more
particles are added until the point where the
salt stops dissolving.

By adding salt to icy roads, you change the

freezing/melting from 0C to point to -9C.

Review Four Factors that influence the rate

of Melting or Freezing

Factor 1 Temperature (The hotter the air

temperature the faster ice melts; the colder
the air temperature faster water freezes.)

Factor 2 - Size and Shape (Larger pieces of

ice melt more slowly than an equal mass of
smaller pieces.)

Factor 3 Conduction (Water in containers

which are good conductors of heat will cool
more quickly.)
Factor 4 Changing the Composition
(Mixing water with other compounds such
as salt will influence the melting/freezing
point.)

Practice
Number your paper from 1 to 12.
Answer the following questions about factors
that influence the rate at which different
types of material freeze, melt, or evaporate.

1. Falling temperatures can affect the

water cycle by ______.
a)
b)

c)
d)

creating larger
raindrops
changing
precipitation from
rain to snow
creating smaller
raindrops
changing the path
of water runoff

2. How does adding salt to water affect

the temperature?
a)
b)
c)
d)

The melting point increases to a higher

temperature.
The freezing point increases to a higher
temperature.
Salt does not affect the temperature of
water.
The freezing point decreases to a lower
temperature.

3. Under which of the following conditions

will water evaporate the slowest?
a) Humidity = 95%

b) Humidity = 80%

c) Humidity = 30%

d) Humidity = 70%

4. You are going camping for three days. You need to

buy ice that will keep your ice chest cool for the entire
3 day trip. Which would be the best ice to buy?
a) one large
block of
ice

b) many small
cubes

c) crushed
ice

d) brightly
colored
cubes

5. At which of the following ground

temperatures will the puddle evaporate the
fastest?
a) 50C

b) 15C

c) 29C

d) 87C

6. Your little sister forgot to turn off the water in the bathroom
sink. The water overflowed and soaked the carpet. You want to
dry the carpet out before your mother gets home. At which level
should you turn on the fan?

a) low

b) high

c) medium

d) The carpet would dry

out faster without a fan.

7. Students are investigating whether wind affects

the rate at which the sponge will dry. Which
experiment is best to use in answering their
question?
a)
b)

c)

d)

8. Which cup will keep your coffee hot

for the longest amount of time?
a) silver

b) copper

c) styrofoam

d) steel

9. Each of the following containers hold

exactly10 ounces of water. From which
container will water evaporate the fastest?
a)

b)

c)

d)

10. Which letter represents

evaporation?

11. At which temperature will the the

icicles elt the quickest?

a) 50C

b) 15C

c) 29C

d) 87C

12.

Answers

1. Falling temperatures can affect the

water cycle by ______.
a)
b)

c)
d)

creating larger
raindrops
changing
precipitation from
rain to snow
creating smaller
raindrops
changing the path
of water runoff

2. How does adding salt to water affect

the temperature?

The melting point increases to a higher

temperature.
The freezing point increases to a higher
temperature.
Salt does not affect the temperature of
water.
The freezing point decreases to a lower
temperature.

3. Under which of the following conditions

will water evaporate the slowest?
a) Humidity = 95%

b) Humidity = 80%

c) Humidity = 30%

d) Humidity = 70%

4. You are going camping for three days. You need to

buy ice that will keep your ice chest cool for the entire
3 day trip. Which would be the best ice to buy?
a) one large
block of
ice

b) many small
cubes

c) crushed
ice

d) brightly
colored
cubes

5. At which of the following ground

temperatures will the puddle evaporate the
fastest?
a) 50C

b) 15C

c) 29C

d) 87C

6. Your little sister forgot to turn off the water in the bathroom
sink. The water overflowed and soaked the carpet. You want to
dry the carpet out before your mother gets home. At which level
should you turn on the fan?

a) low

b) high

c) medium

d) The carpet would dry

out faster without a fan.

7. Students are investigating whether wind affects

the rate at which the sponge will dry. Which
experiment is best to use in answering their
question?
a)
b)

c)

d)

8. Which cup will keep your coffee hot

for the longest amount of time?
a) silver

b) copper

c) styrofoam

d) steel

9. Each of the following containers hold

exactly10 ounces of water. From which
container will water evaporate the fastest?
a)

b)

c)

d)

10. Which letter represents

evaporation?

11. At which temperature will the icicles

melt the quickest?

a) 50C

b) 15C

c) 29C

d) 87C

12.