Why are the shifts between phases of matter so sudden? Why aren’t there transitional phases?
In: Chemistry
Ok so. Solid, liquid and gas are the 3 phases, right? (Let’s ignore plasma for now).
These different phases don’t change anything about the matter itself.
For example, let’s take water, or, H2O.
Solid (ice), Liquid (water), and Gas (Water vapors) all have the same formula, H2O. 2 atoms of hydrogen and 1 atom of oxygen joined by covalent bonds.
Matter, or atoms/molecules move faster the more energy they have.
So, the higher the temperature, the more energy they possess.
Let’s say you take ice out of the freezer and place it in room temperature. This is high enough for the H2O molecules to get so energized that they can move far away from each other, far enough to become liquid, and if you notch things up to 100 degrees Celsius, they can move so far apart we have to call them a gas.
So, to answer your question, yes there are transition phases. You can consider liquid to be the transition phase between solid and gas.
I think it has to do with energy thresholds inherent to the matter states. For example in a solid, two atoms/molecules are bound together by a chemical bond. That chemical bond holds them together and is what gives the material a “solid” structure. When you heat up the solid, you’ll eventually get to a point where you have enough energy to break that bond and the two atoms/molecules are now free from each other. You don’t gradually break a bond, it doesn’t get weaker and weaker. It just suddenly breaks.
I’m not sure if this explains the transition between liquid and gas.
Well for the familiar three phases, you can think about how matter in general should behave
Matter when it sticks together
Matter when it does not stick together
and Matter in an inbetween phase
The first describes solids
The second describes gases
The third describes liquids
It’s sort of hard to imagine any other traditional phase existing.
As far as the shifts, they aren’t particularly sudden
Temperature changes until the phase change temperature is reached
Then temperature stops changing. Any additional energy transfer goes into actually causing the phase change.
Once all of the matter has changed phase, then the temperature can begin changing again.
You mean, like a slushy?
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