As an expert in the field of thermodynamics, I can provide a detailed explanation of what happens to energy during the process of freezing.
When a substance undergoes a phase transition, such as freezing, there is a significant change in its energy state. The process of freezing involves the transition of a substance from a liquid state to a solid state. This occurs when the temperature of the substance falls below its freezing point. During this process, the kinetic energy of the molecules decreases as they slow down and come closer together, forming a more ordered structure.
One of the key principles of thermodynamics is the conservation of energy. This means that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. During freezing, the energy that was previously in the form of kinetic energy is converted into potential energy. The potential energy is associated with the attractive forces between the molecules in the solid state. As the molecules come closer together, the potential energy increases.
It is important to note that the temperature of the substance does not change during the phase transition, even though energy is still being transferred. This is because the energy is being used to change the state of the substance, rather than increasing its temperature. The energy is transferred from the substance to its surroundings in the form of heat. This is why the surroundings feel colder when a substance is freezing, as the heat is being released from the substance into the surroundings.
The process of freezing can be represented by the following equation:
\[ Q = m \cdot L_{f} \]
where \( Q \) is the heat energy transferred, \( m \) is the mass of the substance, and \( L_{f} \) is the latent heat of fusion. The latent heat of fusion is the amount of energy required to change a unit mass of a substance from the liquid state to the solid state without changing its temperature.
In summary, during the process of freezing, the kinetic energy of the molecules is converted into potential energy as they come closer together to form a more ordered structure. The energy is transferred from the substance to its surroundings in the form of heat, even though the temperature of the substance remains constant. This is a result of the conservation of energy principle and the fact that the energy is being used to change the state of the substance, rather than increasing its temperature.

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The temperature of the substance does not change during melting, boiling or freezing, even though energy is still being transferred. ... The temperature also stays the same while a liquid freezes, even though heat energy is still being released to the surroundings.read more >>