When water changes to ice, which of the following best describes the process?

• A. Water undergoes freezing, transitioning from the liquid phase to the solid phase.
• B. Water undergoes sublimation, transitioning directly from the liquid phase to the gas phase.
• C. Water undergoes condensation, transitioning from the gas phase to the liquid phase.
• D. Water undergoes melting, transitioning from the solid phase to the liquid phase.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the initial and final phases of water in the process described. Here, water changes from liquid to solid.
2. Recall the definitions of phase changes: freezing is liquid to solid, melting is solid to liquid, condensation is gas to liquid, and sublimation is solid to gas or gas to solid without passing through liquid.
3. Match the phase change described (liquid to solid) with the correct term, which is freezing.
4. Understand that freezing involves the removal of heat energy from water, causing molecules to slow down and arrange into a solid structure (ice).
5. Conclude that the best description of the process is water undergoing freezing, transitioning from the liquid phase to the solid phase.