Melting and freezing run in opposite directions
An ice cube in a bowl melts into a puddle. Is the puddle the same water as the ice?
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Step 1 of 4
- An ice cube sits in a bowl.
- It warms up to 0 °C and starts to melt.
- Now it is a puddle of water.
- Cool it below 0 °C. Ice appears again.
The rule
Yes, the puddle is the same water as the ice.
Melting is a solid turning into a liquid. Ice melts at 0 °C.
Freezing is the opposite. A liquid turns into a solid.
Melt ice and you get water. Freeze that water and you get ice. The water is the same.