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Re: Missing term



Dan Crowe wrote:
Fusion is the transition from a liquid to a solid.
The counterpart to "fusion" is "melting". (I can't think of
any synonym for "melting" that ends in "ion".)

According to my references, you've got your interpretation of "fusion"
exactly backwards. The confusion is understandable, since the f-word
has pretty much dropped out of thermodynamics usage in today's physics
literature; only the term "heat of fusion" persists.

According to my 1901 Carhart & Chute text, "When a body changes from the
solid to the liquid state by the application of heat, it is said to
melt, or fuse, and the change is called melting, fusion, or
liquefaction." From my 1964 Dull, Metcalfe & Williams text, "Change of
state from a solid to a liquid is called fusion ... Fusion is the
scientific term for what is commonly called melting, or liquefaction."

The electrical fuse, invented about a century ago, gets its name from
its function: a metal link that *melts* when excessive current raises
its temperature sufficiently.

So the phase change terminology would correctly be:
vaporization - condensation
sublimation - deposition
fusion - solidification (i.e. melting - freezing)

Best wishes,

Larry

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Larry Cartwright Retired Physics Teacher
<exit60@cablespeed.com> Charlotte MI 48813 USA
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