Final answer:
Ice melts at 32°F (0°C), which is its melting point under standard atmospheric pressure. The enthalpy of fusion for ice is 6.01 kJ/mol, meaning it absorbs that amount of heat when 1 mol melts. The melting point can decrease under high pressure.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the melting of ice at 32°F (0°C). At this temperature and at standard atmospheric pressure (1 atm), ice undergoes a phase transition from a solid to a liquid state. This is because the melting point of ice is 0°C, which is equivalent to 32°F. The process is endothermic, meaning that ice absorbs heat from its surroundings during melting.
The enthalpy of fusion of ice is 6.01 kJ/mol, indicating that 6.01 kJ of heat is absorbed by 1 mol of ice to melt at 0°C. When ice is placed on a thermally conductive material like low-density carbon foam, heat flows from the foam to the ice, melting the ice as shown by the rise in entropy (ΔSfus).
Additionally, the melting point of ice can slightly decrease under increased pressure, a phenomenon observable when, for example, a car drives over snow and the tires' pressure causes the snow beneath them to melt momentarily. However, once the pressure is relieved, the water refreezes into ice. The melting and freezing points of a substance such as water are the same, representing the equilibrium between solid and liquid phases.