There’s not a lot of documentation on this experiment, but what we know is that the unknown liquid is both boiling and freezing. Actually, if you go by the visuals, it seems to rock back and forth between those states quickly. The pressure inside the glass was lowered, which causes the temperature to drop. But it also drops the boiling point of the liquid. Where the freezing point and the new, low-pressure boiling point meet is called its triple point. It’s freaky to watch. I kept waiting for the glass to break, because that just seems like what should happen. (via Viral Viral Videos)
At the triple point, the solid, liquid, and vapor phases of a substance are in equilibrium. This is a combination of temperature and pressure that is unique for each substance. Water's triple point is just above 32 degrees F and at a pressure near full vacuum.
Just as an interesting fact about cyclohexane. It was a leak of this chemical that caused the explosion that killed 28 people in Flixborough, North Lincolnshire, in the UK. The date was 1st June 1974. At the time it was the largest explosion in the UK since the second world war.
At the triple point, the solid, liquid, and vapor phases of a substance are in equilibrium. This is a combination of temperature and pressure that is unique for each substance. Water's triple point is just above 32 degrees F and at a pressure near full vacuum.
ReplyDeleteJust as an interesting fact about cyclohexane. It was a leak of this chemical that caused the explosion that killed 28 people in Flixborough, North Lincolnshire, in the UK. The date was 1st June 1974. At the time it was the largest explosion in the UK since the second world war.
ReplyDelete