Question

What happens to the average kinetic energy of water molecules as water freezes?

Answer 1

When water freezes, the temperature decreases and therefore, the average kinetic energy will decrease as well.

Explanation:

The average kinetic energy `K.E._(av.)` is measured by:

`K.E._(av.)=3/2RT`

which means that the average kinetic energy is directly proportional to the temperature .

When water freezes, the temperature decreases and therefore, the average kinetic energy will decrease as well.