<P> For most substances , melting and freezing points are approximately equal . For example , the melting point and freezing point of mercury is 234.32 kelvins ( − 38.83 ° C or − 37.89 ° F ) . However , certain substances possess differing solid - liquid transition temperatures . For example , agar melts at 85 ° C ( 185 ° F ) and solidifies from 31 ° C ( 88 ° F ; 304 K ) ; such direction dependence is known as hysteresis . The melting point of ice at 1 atmosphere of pressure is very close to 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ; 273 K ) ; this is also known as the ice point . In the presence of nucleating substances , the freezing point of water is not always the same as the melting point . In the absence of nucleators water can exist as a supercool ed liquid down to − 48.3 ° C ( − 55 ° F , 224.8 K ) before freezing . The chemical element with the highest melting point is tungsten , at 3,414 ° C ( 6,177 ° F ; 3,687 K ) ; this property makes tungsten excellent for use as filaments in light bulbs . The often - cited carbon does not melt at ambient pressure but sublimes at about 3,726.85 ° C ( 6,740.33 ° F ; 4,000.00 K ) ; a liquid phase only exists above pressures of 10 MPa ( 99 atm ) and estimated 4,030 -- 4,430 ° C ( 7,290 -- 8,010 ° F ; 4,300 -- 4,700 K ) ( see carbon phase diagram ) . Tantalum hafnium carbide ( Ta HfC ) is a refractory compound with a very high melting point of 4215 K ( 3942 ° C , 7128 ° F ) . At the other end of the scale , helium does not freeze at all at normal pressure even at temperatures close to absolute zero ; pressure greater than twenty times of atmosphere of normal one is necessary . </P>
<P> For most substances , melting and freezing points are approximately equal . For example , the melting point and freezing point of mercury is 234.32 kelvins ( − 38.83 ° C or − 37.89 ° F ) . However , certain substances possess differing solid - liquid transition temperatures . For example , agar melts at 85 ° C ( 185 ° F ) and solidifies from 31 ° C ( 88 ° F ; 304 K ) ; such direction dependence is known as hysteresis . The melting point of ice at 1 atmosphere of pressure is very close to 0 ° C ( 32 ° F ; 273 K ) ; this is also known as the ice point . In the presence of nucleating substances , the freezing point of water is not always the same as the melting point . In the absence of nucleators water can exist as a supercool ed liquid down to − 48.3 ° C ( − 55 ° F , 224.8 K ) before freezing . The chemical element with the highest melting point is tungsten , at 3,414 ° C ( 6,177 ° F ; 3,687 K ) ; this property makes tungsten excellent for use as filaments in light bulbs . The often - cited carbon does not melt at ambient pressure but sublimes at about 3,726.85 ° C ( 6,740.33 ° F ; 4,000.00 K ) ; a liquid phase only exists above pressures of 10 MPa ( 99 atm ) and estimated 4,030 -- 4,430 ° C ( 7,290 -- 8,010 ° F ; 4,300 -- 4,700 K ) ( see carbon phase diagram ) . Tantalum hafnium carbide ( Ta HfC ) is a refractory compound with a very high melting point of 4215 K ( 3942 ° C , 7128 ° F ) . At the other end of the scale , helium does not freeze at all at normal pressure even at temperatures close to absolute zero ; pressure greater than twenty times of atmosphere of normal one is necessary . </P>
which type of substance has the highest melting point
which type of substance has the highest melting point
tungsten
tungsten