Melting point

DEFINITION

The temperature at which a solid substance becomes liquid.Some melting points of particular importance: platinum melts at 1772? C. iron melts at 1535? C. nickel melts at 1453? C. manganese melts at 1244? C. copper melts at 1083? C. gold melts at 1063? C. silver melts at 960.8? C. zinc melts at 419.4? C. lead melts at 327.5? C. tin melts at 231.89? C. frozen water (ordinary ice) melts at 0+? C (32+? F) TAKE NOTE!The boiling point of a substance is always appreciably higher than its melting point. The boiling point is the temperature at which a material changes from a liquid to a gas. Below the boiling point, the liquid can evaporate to form a vapor. As the material approaches the boiling point, the change from liquid to vapor is rapid, and vapor concentrations in the air can be POISONOUS!EXPLOSIVE!FLAMMABLE!extremely high. Airborne gases and vapors may pose fire, explosion and health hazards. Sometimes the boiling point of a mixture is given as a range of temperatures. This is because the different ingredients in a mixture can boil at different temperatures.Also see alloy, flammable, freezing point, hygrothermograph, lost-wax casting, measurement, metal, pyrometric cones (firing ceramics), and temperature conversions between Fahrenheit and Centigrade.