Final answer:
The process of changing solid ice to liquid water and then to vapor involves the absorption of thermal energy, which increases the kinetic energy and particle motion, leading to phase transitions while maintaining temperature during the change. Heat is absorbed to weaken intermolecular bonds during melting and vaporization, leading to increased entropy.
Step-by-step explanation:
To understand the transition from solid ice to liquid water and then to water vapor, we must first consider thermal energy, which is the total energy of all the particles in a substance. As thermal energy increases, so does the kinetic energy of the particles, which refers to the energy of motion. When ice absorbs thermal energy, its particle motion intensifies as the particles begin to vibrate more vigorously, weakening their fixed positions in the solid lattice structure. This process continues until the cohesive bonds between the particles are sufficiently weakened, allowing the ice to change into a liquid.
During this phase change, the temperature does not increase because the absorbed heat is used to break the bonds rather than increase particle motion. Once all the ice has melted, additional energy raises the temperature of the water as the motion of the particles becomes more rapid. The particles in the liquid state have enough freedom to move past each other, but they are still temporarily cohesive. Eventually, as the liquid water gains more heat and therefore kinetic energy, the particles begin to move so vigorously that they can overcome the attractive forces holding them together, causing a phase transition to gas. At this point, the water reaches its boiling point and vaporizes, becoming water vapor with particles that move freely at high speeds.
Throughout these phase changes, energy is transferred in the form of heat, which is the flow of thermal energy from a warmer object to a cooler one. Melting and vaporization involve absorbing heat, which increases entropy or the disorder of the system. Conversely, when water vapor condenses into liquid water, or liquid water freezes to become ice, thermal energy is released, and entropy decreases.