Chemistry › Section J · Liquids and solids › Topic J.4
Phase diagrams
A phase diagram is a map that tells you whether a substance is solid, liquid or gas at any temperature and pressure. With it you can explain why dry ice never melts on a table, why freeze-drying works, and why water behaves so differently from almost everything else.
In this topic
- A map of phases
- Lines, the triple point and the critical point
- Water's phase diagram
- Why water's melting line slopes backwards
- Carbon dioxide's phase diagram
- The critical point and supercritical fluids
- Worked example: warming CO₂ at two pressures
- Worked example: compressing water vapour
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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