Final answer:
Energy transfer is necessary for a phase change, where energy is supplied for endothermic processes like melting and vaporization, and released during exothermic processes like freezing and condensation. In agriculture, water is used to protect crops from freezing by utilizing the energy released during the phase change from liquid to solid.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, energy transfer is indeed involved in a phase change. When a substance changes from a solid to a liquid, a process called melting, and from a liquid to a gas, known as vaporization, energy has to be supplied. The energy is used to overcome the intermolecular forces binding the molecules in the solid or liquid phase. Conversely, when a substance changes from a gas to a liquid, called condensation, or from a liquid to a solid, known as freezing, energy is released.
For instance, to change phase from solid to liquid and liquid to gas, the substance must absorb energy to break the intermolecular bonds. During these phase changes, the temperature of the substance does not increase until the transition is complete because all added energy is used to break molecular bonds. The reverse processes release energy. As for spraying orange trees with water in Florida during freezing temperatures, it's because when water freezes and becomes solid, releasing energy in the process, it can help to protect the plants from frost damage.