Sulatuspistejä

Sulatuspistejä, a Finnish term roughly translating to "melting points," refers to the temperature at which a substance changes from a solid to a liquid state. This transition occurs when the kinetic energy of the molecules within the solid overcomes the intermolecular forces holding them in a fixed structure. At the melting point, the solid and liquid phases coexist in equilibrium.

The melting point is a characteristic physical property of a pure crystalline solid. Impurities typically lower and broaden the melting point range, meaning the substance will melt over a range of temperatures rather than at a single, sharp point. This property is often used in chemistry for identifying unknown substances or assessing their purity.

Different substances have distinct melting points. For instance, water freezes and melts at 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) at standard atmospheric pressure. Metals, salts, and other compounds have much higher melting points, reflecting the strength of their respective chemical bonds. The process of melting requires energy, known as the latent heat of fusion, which is absorbed by the substance to break the bonds holding its solid structure. Upon cooling below the melting point, the substance will solidify, releasing this latent heat.