When freezing of a liquid takes place in a system it:

Options

A. may have `q gt 0` or `q lt 0` depending on the liquid
B. is represented by `q gt 0`
C. is represented by `q lt 0`
D. has q = 0

Explanation

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Understanding Freezing**: Freezing is the process where a liquid turns into a solid. This occurs when the temperature of the liquid decreases, leading to a loss of kinetic energy among the molecules.

2. **Energy Transfer**: During the freezing process, the liquid must lose energy in the form of heat. This energy loss is essential for the molecules to come together and form a solid structure.

3. **Heat (Q) Analysis**: In thermodynamics, the heat transfer (Q) is considered positive when heat is absorbed by the system and negative when heat is released. Since freezing involves the release of heat to the surroundings, we conclude that Q must be negative.

4. **Conclusion**: Therefore, when a liquid freezes, it releases heat, resulting in a decrease in the internal energy of the system. Thus, we can state that Q < 0 during the freezing process.

5. **Final Answer**: The correct answer to the question is that Q is less than 0 (Q < 0) when freezing of a liquid takes place.

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