Skip to content
Skip to content
Teachers
Go to pupils
View unit
New
New
Lesson 4 of 7

Melting: melting points and freezing points

I can measure the melting point and freezing point of a substance.

View unit
Lesson 4 of 7
New
New

Melting: melting points and freezing points

I can measure the melting point and freezing point of a substance.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When it melts, a substance changes from the solid state to the liquid state.
  2. When it freezes, a substance changes from the liquid state to the solid state.
  3. At temperatures below its melting point, a substance is in its solid state.
  4. At temperatures above its freezing point, a substance is in its liquid state.
  5. The melting point and freezing point of a pure substance are the same temperature.

Keywords

  • Liquid state - Substances in the liquid state will take the shape of their container.

  • Solid state - Particles in a substance in a solid state are in a fixed position and can only vibrate.

  • Melting point - The melting point of a substance is the temperature at which it changes from a solid state to a liquid state.

  • Freezing point - The freezing point is the temperature at which a substance changes from a liquid state to a solid state.

Common misconception

Some pupils can't understand that substances can change from one state to another state.

Ensure that the language used is solid state, liquid state and gas state, not solid, liquid and gas.

Have a beaker with ice in, this will melt over the lesson and allow pupils to visualise a substance melting, ask pupils how they would get the ice back to allow them to demonstrate their understanding of freezing.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Skip lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
What are the three states of matter?

Hot, Cold, Warm
Water, Ice, Steam
Correct answer: Solid, Liquid, Gas

Q2.
In which state of matter are particles in a fixed position and can only vibrate?

Liquid state
Gas state
Correct answer: Solid state

Q3.
Which state of matter takes the shape of its container?

Gas state
Solid state
Correct answer: Liquid state

Q4.
What is the temperature at which water freezes? ℃ (enter only a number)

Correct Answer: 0, zero

Q5.
Arrange the following transitions in the order they would occur when heating a substance:

1 - The substance is in the solid state
2 - The substance melts
3 - The substance is in the liquid state

Q6.
What is the primary reason that a substance in the solid state does not flow like a substance in the liquid state?

The particles are too large
The particles are too small
Correct answer: The forces of attraction between particles are stronger

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match each word to the correct statement

Correct Answer:liquid state,particles fill the shape of the container

particles fill the shape of the container

Correct Answer:solid state,particles are in a fixed position and can only vibrate

particles are in a fixed position and can only vibrate

Correct Answer:melting point,temperature of a substance changing from a solid to liquid

temperature of a substance changing from a solid to liquid

Correct Answer:freezing point,temperature of a substance changing from a liquid to solid

temperature of a substance changing from a liquid to solid

Q2.
At what point is a substance in its solid state?

Above its melting point
Correct answer: Below its melting point
Above its freezing point

Q3.
Arrange the following phases in the order they occur when a substance is cooled:

1 - The substance is in the liquid state
2 - The substance freezes
3 - The substance is in the solid state

Q4.
The melting point and freezing point of a substance are .

Correct Answer: the same, equal, equivalent

Q5.
If a substance has a melting point of 50°C, at what temperature will it freeze?

-10°C
0°C
48°C
Correct answer: 50°C
100°C

Q6.
A substance has a melting/freezing point of 25°C. If a sample of this substance is in a container at 25°C, which of the following statements is most accurate?

The substance must be entirely in the solid state.
The substance must be entirely in the liquid state.
Correct answer: The substance could be in the solid or liquid state, or both simultaneously.

Lesson appears in

UnitScience / Solid, liquid, gas states and changes of state

Science

Show unit