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Chapter 10: Problem 119

Explain why wet laundry hung out in freezing weather will eventually dry.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Wet laundry hung out in freezing weather eventually dries because the water in the laundry, which turns to ice (solid state), sublimates; that is, it changes directly from a solid state to a gas (water vapor), bypassing the liquid phase. This water vapor then diffuses into the air, leaving the laundry dry.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Process

Firstly, when wet laundry is hung out in freezing weather, the water in the laundry freezes, turning into ice. This happens because the temperature is below the freezing point of water (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit).
02

Define Sublimation

Sublimation is the process where a solid changes directly to a gas, skipping the liquid phase. Even in freezing temperatures, this process can take place given enough time, as energy (in the form of heat from the sun or surroundings) allows the ice to transition directly into water vapor.
03

Apply Sublimation on Frozen Laundry

Applying this concept to the frozen laundry, the ice (solid state of water) in the laundry slowly sublimates, turning directly into water vapor, thereby bypassing the liquid phase. As the water vapor is a gas, it diffuses into the air, leaving behind laundry that is dry.
04

Role of Time

The amount of time this process takes can vary based on temperature variations throughout the day, wind, and direct sunlight warming the laundry even more. But even in freezing temperatures, the laundry will eventually dry due to the process of sublimation.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Phase Change
Imagine water transforming between its different states: solid, liquid, and gas. This transformation is known as a phase change.
When water is liquid, it's flexible and can flow freely. However, when it encounters freezing temperatures, it changes into a solid and becomes ice.
This happens because the energy levels in the water molecules drop, making them move closer together and settle into a solid form.
  • A phase change doesn't always need to move through each state of matter in sequence.
  • In certain situations, substances can jump directly from solid to gas, or vice versa.
  • This kind of direct transformation is both fascinating and useful in natural phenomena.
While normally we might see water evaporating from liquid to gas, sublimation demonstrates how ice can become vapor without melting first. This is incredibly important in drying laundry in freezing temperatures.
Freezing Point
The freezing point is the specific temperature at which a liquid becomes a solid. For water, this critical temperature is 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit).
When temperatures fall to or below this threshold, water molecules lose energy and begin to form structured crystals, turning into ice.
This freezing process is vital for understanding why wet laundry turns to ice when left out in cold weather.
  • Below the freezing point, the movement of water molecules slows down considerably.
  • This allows the molecules to align in a fixed, organized pattern, creating ice.
  • It doesn't mean the laundry is doomed to stay frozen forever, though.
The miracle of sublimation helps reverse this, letting those frozen water particles skip the melting step entirely, eventually making your laundry dry again.
Water Vapor
Water vapor is the gaseous form of water, often invisible to the human eye, as it diffuses into the air. Even though it's a gas, it plays a hugely important role in processes like sublimation.
When ice sublimates, it turns into water vapor, enabling wet things to dry, even in freezing weather.
Water vapor is ever-present around us, being part of the air we breathe and contributing to weather patterns and humidity levels.
  • It allows the transfer of water molecules from solid ice to the atmosphere.
  • The process means no visible water or wetness is left behind.
  • Water vapor's movement is influenced by factors like temperature, wind, and sunlight.
It's this transformation to vapor that ultimately ensures frozen laundry can dry, bypassing the liquid stage entirely, showing the significant role water vapor plays even in everyday situations.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Gallium has a melting point of \(30^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) and a boiling point \(1983^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\). What is the physical state of gallium at \(100^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) ? At \(15^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) ?

List all of the intermolecular forces in each of the following substances. (a) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{NH}_{2}\) (c) \(\mathrm{CO}_{2}\) (b) \(\mathrm{SO}_{2}\) (d) \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\)

Which of the following substances can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules? (a) \(\mathrm{CH}_{4}\) (b) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{OH}\) (c) \(\mathrm{CH}_{3} \mathrm{CH}_{2} \mathrm{NH}_{2}\)

Calculate the amount of heat required when \(15.0 \mathrm{~g}\) of water at \(52.5^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) is converted to steam at \(238.2^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\)

Which of the following substances can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules? (a) \(\mathrm{SCl}_{2}\) (b) HF (c) \(\mathrm{BeH}_{2}\)
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