What happens to the particles of a solid as it reaches its melting point?

At the melting point, the temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid, the particles of the solid gain energy. This increased energy causes the particles to vibrate more vigorously. As they vibrate with greater intensity, the forces holding them in their fixed arrangement begin to weaken, ultimately allowing them to move more freely and transition into a liquid state. This process is essential to understand when discussing phase changes, as it illustrates how energy affects particle movement and the physical properties of substances.