What does the term 'melting point' refer to?

The term 'melting point' specifically refers to the temperature at which a solid substance transitions into a liquid state. This process occurs when the thermal energy supplied to the solid overcomes the forces holding its particles in a fixed structure, allowing them to move more freely and thus transition to a liquid form.

Understanding this term is crucial in various fields, such as chemistry and materials science, as it helps in identifying the phase behavior of different substances. In contrast, other temperature-related terms describe different processes, such as boiling (the transition from liquid to gas) or condensation (the change from gas to liquid), but these do not pertain to the melting point of a solid.