freezing point (frē'zĭng) The temperature at which a liquid, releasing sufficient heat, becomes a solid. For a given substance, the freezing point of its liquid form is the same as the melting point of its solid form, and depends on such factors as the purity of the substance and the surrounding pressure. The freezing point of water at a pressure of one atmosphere is 0°C (32°F); that of liquid nitrogen is -209.89°C (-345.8°F). See also state of matter. |
The temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid; the same temperature as the melting point. (See phases of matter.)
Note: Water freezes at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit or zero degrees Celsius.