Stelningstemperatur

Stelningstemperatur, also known as freezing point, refers to the temperature at which a liquid transitions into a solid state. This is a physical property that is characteristic of each pure substance. For water, the stelningstemperatur at standard atmospheric pressure is 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. When a substance reaches its stelningstemperatur, its molecules lose kinetic energy and arrange themselves into a fixed, ordered structure, forming a solid.

The stelningstemperatur can be influenced by factors such as pressure and the presence of impurities. For most substances, an increase in pressure raises the stelningstemperatur. However, water is an exception, where increased pressure lowers its stelningstemperatur, a phenomenon observed in the melting of ice under pressure. Impurities dissolved in a liquid generally lower its stelningstemperatur. This effect is known as freezing point depression and is utilized in applications like adding salt to icy roads to prevent freezing.

Understanding the stelningstemperatur is important in various scientific and industrial fields, including meteorology, chemistry, and materials science. It plays a crucial role in predicting weather patterns, formulating chemical solutions, and determining the suitability of materials for specific operating temperatures. The inverse process, where a solid turns into a liquid, is called melting, and for a pure substance, the melting point is the same as its stelningstemperatur.