How much heat must be removed from water at 32 degrees F to reach the freezing point?

To determine how much heat must be removed from water at 32 degrees Fahrenheit to reach the freezing point, it's important to consider the properties of water. The freezing point of water is also 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so if the water is already at this temperature, it is at the transition point where it will begin to freeze, assuming standard atmospheric pressure.

In this scenario, the heat removal process involves the latent heat of fusion, which is the energy required to change the state of water from liquid to solid without changing its temperature. For water, this latent heat is approximately 144 BTUs per pound. Therefore, to freeze one pound of water at 32 degrees Fahrenheit into ice at the same temperature, one would need to remove 144 BTUs of energy.

This answer aligns with the principles of thermodynamics regarding phase changes, illustrating that even though the temperature remains constant during the phase transition, energy must still be extracted to change its state from liquid to solid. Consequently, the removal of 144 BTUs is essential to transition the water fully into ice at the freezing point.