What phase change occurs at the freezing point of water?

The phase change that occurs at the freezing point of water is freezing, also known as solidification. During this process, water transitions from a liquid state to a solid state as the temperature reaches 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) under standard atmospheric pressure. As water molecules lose energy, they begin to arrange themselves into a structured lattice formation characteristic of ice, resulting in a change of state.

Understanding this process is essential because it highlights the energy dynamics and molecular arrangements during phase changes. The freezing point is a critical temperature where this transition can occur, demonstrating the behavior of substances under varying thermal conditions. In the context of the other choices, condensation involves a gas turning into a liquid, vaporization refers to the transition from liquid to gas, and melting describes the change from solid to liquid—all of which occur at different temperatures and involve different energy changes.