Final answer:
Melting ice at 0°C involves absorbing latent heat to break molecular bonds without temperature change, resulting in lower potential energy but higher kinetic energy and entropy in the system after melting.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing the potential energy stored in the system before and after the melting process involves understanding how energy transfers result in phase changes without temperature change. Prior to melting, the ice has potential energy in the form of chemical bonding, specifically hydrogen bonds between the water molecules. As the ice absorbs heat, the water molecules vibrate more vigorously until the melting point is reached. During melting, the additional energy breaks these bonds and transitions the water from solid to liquid, without increasing temperature. This energy absorbed by the ice from its surroundings to facilitate the melting is known as the latent heat of fusion. After melting, the potential energy in the system is lower because the energy has been used to transform the structure of ice into water. However, the kinetic energy of the water molecules is increased due to their motion in the liquid state. The entropy of the system increases because the molecules move from a well-ordered solid state to a more disordered liquid state, thus justifying that melting results in a higher entropy.