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Melting is the physical process by which a solid changes into a liquid. At the molecular level, the increase in temperature causes the atoms or molecules to vibrate with enough energy that the intermolecular forces are overcome, allowing the material to flow. The temperature at which this transition occurs for a pure substance is called its melting point, and it is a fundamental property that is generally the same regardless of the amount of the substance. During melting, the temperature of the material remains constant while the energy supplied is used as latent heat of fusion, the energy required to change the phase. The elementary relationship Q = mL expresses the heat Q absorbed or released, where m is the mass and L is the specific latent heat.

In industrial settings, controlled melting is essential for the production of metals such as steel, bronze and aluminum. Foundries use furnaces and crucibles to melt ores, alloys or recycled scrap metal before casting into desired shapes. In glassmaking, raw materials are heated to their melting points and then poured or molded. The process is also vital in ceramics, polymer extrusion and the food industry, where ingredients are melted for cooking or processing. Traditional techniques, such as smelting in ancient furnaces, laid the groundwork for modern metallurgy. Scientific study of melting provides insight into material properties, thermodynamics, and phase diagrams, and it has applications ranging from additive manufacturing to cryogenic engineering.