melting point (měl'tĭng) The temperature at which a solid, given sufficient heat, becomes a liquid. For a given substance, the melting point of its solid form is the same as the freezing point of its liquid form, and depends on such factors as the purity of the substance and the surrounding pressure. The melting point of ice at a pressure of one atmosphere is 0°C (32°F); that of iron is 1,535°C (2,795°F). See also state of matter. |
The temperature at which a given material changes from a solid to a liquid, or melts; the same temperature as freezing point. (See phases of matter.)
Note: Ice melts at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit or zero degrees Celsius.