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freezing point

 
Dictionary: freez·ing point   (frē'zĭng)
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n. (Abbr. fp)
  1. The temperature at which a liquid of specified composition solidifies under a specified pressure.
  2. The temperature at which the liquid and solid phases of a substance of specified composition are in equilibrium at atmospheric pressure.

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Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: freezing point
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Temperature at which a liquid becomes a solid. When the pressure surrounding the liquid is increased, the freezing point is raised. The addition of some solids can lower the freezing point of a liquid, a principle used when salt is applied to melt ice on frozen surfaces. For pure substances, the freezing point is the same as the melting point. In mixtures and certain organic compounds, the early solid formation changes the composition of the remaining liquid, usually steadily lowering its freezing point, a principle that is applied in mixture separation. The freezing point of pure water at standard atmospheric pressure is 32°F (0°C). To change a liquid at its freezing point to a solid at the same temperature, the heat of fusion (see latent heat) must be removed.

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Science Dictionary: freezing point
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The temperature at which a liquid changes into a solid; the same temperature as the melting point. (See phases of matter.)

  • Water freezes at thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit or zero degrees Celsius.

    • WordNet: freezing point
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    Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

    The noun has one meaning:

    Meaning #1: the temperature below which a liquid turns into a solid
      Synonym: melting point

     
     

     

    Copyrights:

    Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
    Science Dictionary. The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.  Read more
    WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more