• OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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    10 months ago

    H2O molecules can be in several different states at 0°C. The first picture depicts ice at 0°C, but you can also have water and water vapour at 0°C too.

    • Troy@lemmy.ca
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      10 months ago

      Water vapour isn’t really applicable here, unless you’re talking about very low pressures. Although you could consider it a component in a mixed gas, it’s not really gaseous water. The true gaseous form of water is steam. Water vapour is more like water that has been dissolved in the atmosphere.

      By analogy: sugar is solid at room temperature. But you can dissolve it in water. Have you converted the sugar into a liquid? No. Because sugar is a liquid only at temperatures above 160°C. But the resulting mixture is liquid.

      • OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
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        10 months ago

        Agreed that vapour doesn’t really play in to this, but I knew if I didn’t mention it someone would come in and ‘correct’ me. So I included it, and someone still came in and ‘corrected’ me.

        My main point, that I didn’t make very well, is that I wanted to ‘correct’ the meme that both ice and liquid water can be at 0°C.

        Technically correct is the best kind of correct.