Final answer:
Latent heat is absorbed from the environment when ice melts and is released into the environment when water freezes; the correct answer is A) Released; Absorbed.
Step-by-step explanation:
When ice melts, latent heat is absorbed from the environment, but when water freezes, latent heat is released into the environment. The correct answer is A) Released; Absorbed.
This process happens because, during the melting of ice, energy is needed to break the cohesive bonds between the molecules, allowing them to move around more freely. This energy, which does not cause a temperature rise, is known as latent heat. Conversely, when water freezes, the molecules come together, and the energy must be dissipated or given off to the surroundings, again as latent heat.