How Ice Melts Without Changing Temperature

When ice melts, its temperature stays at 0°C until all the solid becomes liquid.
The heat added doesn’t raise temperature—it breaks bonds between water molecules.
This hidden input of energy is called latent heat of fusion.
Your ice cube tray shows it: cubes shrink and melt without getting warmer.
The thermometer stays flat during melting, even though heat is still flowing in.
Energy goes into changing the phase, not speeding up the molecules.
That’s why ice can absorb lots of heat while staying at freezing point.
This principle is used in cooling—melting ice absorbs heat from drinks or rooms.
Once all ice has melted, further heating finally raises the water’s temperature.
Melting without warming is nature’s way of balancing energy during phase changes.