When water changes from one state to another, which process releases more heat energy?

The process that releases the most heat energy is deposition, which occurs when water transitions directly from a gas to a solid, such as when water vapor turns into frost. During deposition, energy is released into the surroundings, which is known as latent heat of fusion. This release of heat happens because the molecules lose kinetic energy and bond together to form a solid, typically exothermic in nature.

Understanding the other processes:

• Melting involves the transition from solid to liquid, which requires heat absorption rather than release.

• Condensation, while it does release heat energy as water vapor turns into liquid water, it is less than what is released during deposition.

• Evaporation is the process of converting liquid water into vapor, and this is endothermic, meaning it absorbs heat from the environment.

Thus, among these processes, deposition is unique in its capacity to release a significant amount of heat energy, making it the correct answer.