Enthalpy of sublimation
Have you ever seen a popsicle melt and turn into a puddle? When this happens, it's changing from a solid state to a liquid state. But did you know that some substances can go straight from a solid state to a gas state without becoming a liquid first? This process is called sublimation.
When a substance undergoes sublimation, it requires energy to break the bonds between its molecules and turn them into a gas. The amount of energy needed for this process is called the enthalpy of sublimation. This enthalpy value tells us how much heat (or energy) must be added to a substance to make it go directly from a solid state to a gas state, without becoming a liquid in between.
For example, think about dry ice. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, and if you leave it out at room temperature, it will sublimate and turn directly into a gas. To do this, the dry ice needs to absorb a certain amount of energy from the environment, which is the enthalpy of sublimation for carbon dioxide.
These enthalpy values can be very useful when studying chemical reactions and properties of substances. They can tell us how much energy is involved in a particular process, which can help us understand why some substances behave the way they do. But most importantly, they remind us that science can be fun, exciting and tasty.
When a substance undergoes sublimation, it requires energy to break the bonds between its molecules and turn them into a gas. The amount of energy needed for this process is called the enthalpy of sublimation. This enthalpy value tells us how much heat (or energy) must be added to a substance to make it go directly from a solid state to a gas state, without becoming a liquid in between.
For example, think about dry ice. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, and if you leave it out at room temperature, it will sublimate and turn directly into a gas. To do this, the dry ice needs to absorb a certain amount of energy from the environment, which is the enthalpy of sublimation for carbon dioxide.
These enthalpy values can be very useful when studying chemical reactions and properties of substances. They can tell us how much energy is involved in a particular process, which can help us understand why some substances behave the way they do. But most importantly, they remind us that science can be fun, exciting and tasty.