What is the difference between the boiling point and the melting point?
Difference Between Boiling and Melting Points
The difference between the boiling point and the melting point is very wide. To understand this concept, let us consider the example of water. As we all know, water is found in different phases or states in nature. In the solid state, it is found as Ice, in the liquid state as water, and the gaseous state as steam or water vapour. So how is water able to change its phases? It does so with the help of heat. When heat is applied to water, it heats up and changes from a liquid state to a gaseous state (steam), or when heat is taken from the liquid state, in other words, if it is cooled down, the liquid water changes its phase to its solid form, i.e., ice. So, while observing this whole process, we should think about the fact that there must be a certain temperature at which the liquid changes to its gaseous state.
The temperature at which a liquid changes into its gaseous form is known as its boiling temperature. Different liquids have different boiling points or temperatures. For water, 100°C is known as the boiling point.
Similarly, every liquid must possess a temperature at which it changes its state from liquid to solid phase. Therefore, this temperature at which a solid changes its phase from solid to liquid is known as the melting point. Similar to the boiling point, the melting point is also different for different elements. For water, the melting point is 0°C.
– Written by Soniya Sanyal
The difference between these two points lies in their names themselves; melting means to melt, and boiling means to boil.
The melting point is the temperature at which a substance melts, that is, changes from solid state to liquid state, whereas the boiling point is the temperature at which a substance changes its state from a liquid to a gaseous state.
By taking the example of water, let’s make this a little easier.
Ice is the solid form of water, at 0 degrees centigrade or lower, but it melts to water at or above 0degree. This water, when heated up to 100 degrees or more, turns into vapour, i.e., it starts to boil. Thus, the melting point of water (rather ice) is 0 degrees centigrade, whereas its boiling point is 100 degrees centigrade. These can vary with the presence of impurities.
I hope this helps.
– Written by Manpreet
