Jäätumispunkt

Jäätumispunkt refers to the temperature at which a liquid freezes or solidifies into a solid state. For pure substances, this temperature is a fixed point under a given pressure. The most common example is water, which freezes at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) at standard atmospheric pressure. When a substance freezes, its molecules lose kinetic energy and arrange themselves into a more ordered crystalline structure.

The jäätumispunkt of a liquid can be affected by dissolved substances. For instance, adding salt to water lowers its freezing point. This phenomenon is known as freezing point depression and is a colligative property, meaning it depends on the concentration of solute particles, not their identity. This principle is utilized in various applications, such as de-icing roads in winter. Conversely, some substances have a very low jäätumispunkt, remaining liquid even at extremely cold temperatures. Understanding the jäätumispunkt is crucial in fields like chemistry, physics, and materials science, impacting everything from weather forecasting to the design of refrigerants.