Sublimation is when a solid turns into a gas, skipping the liquid phase. So, what types of solids sublimate on Earth? Some of these solids might surprise you.... Mothballs: I'm not sure how many people use mothballs these days, but back in the day...my grandma filled her drawers and cedar chests full of mothballs to keep out the insects. And, the smell nearly killed all the humans in the house too...these chemical bombs sublimate under normal temperatures and the odor killed insects, moths and small animals nearly immediately.. Dry Ice: We know how that works, or we should know how that works because we saw pellets of solid cold ice turn to a vapor right before our eyes. So, why do we need frozen carbon dioxide? Dry ice is the best substance we can use if we need to truck frozen items to far places. Companies can ship chocolate, frozen meats, vegetables and there is no spoilage! Truly, dry ice is a necessity in our busy lives. And there are buckyballs! What the...? Buckyballs? This is a carbon that links together at certain temperatures and creates "nanotubes". Now, why would we need nanotubes? Made of a solid carbon that can sublime? Well, technology of course! Little, teeny, tiny, tubes that electricity can pass through? Finally another substance that we could relate to...snow! When snow sublimates it looks pretty interesting... Usually we can't see snow sublimate because it goes right to water vapor, but at just the right temperature, snow skips melting and just....sublimates!
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Mrs. TaylorI love science! Everything about the world is interesting and never boring. I love to study plants, animals, insects, and people. My favorite subjects are my students who are the most unique organisms on the planet! Categories |