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Chapter 10: Problem 27

When wet laundry is hung on a clothesline on a cold winter day, it will freeze but eventually dry. Explain

Short Answer

Expert verified
Wet laundry hung out on a cold winter day dries due to the process of sublimation, in which the ice crystals formed in the fabric transform directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase. This occurs under certain temperature and pressure conditions, with low temperatures and atmospheric pressure facilitating sublimation. As the ice crystals sublimate, the water content in the laundry decreases until it eventually dries.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the states of water

First, we need to understand the three states of matter for water: solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (water vapor). When water changes its state, it undergoes a phase change. There are different phase changes in which water can transform, such as melting, freezing, evaporation, and sublimation.
02

Learn about sublimation

Sublimation is a process in which a solid substance directly transforms into its gaseous state without passing through the liquid phase. In the case of wet laundry, the water molecules in the clothing will undergo sublimation when exposed to the cold winter air.
03

Understand the role of temperature and pressure

The process of sublimation occurs under certain temperature and pressure conditions. In winter, the temperature is often below the freezing point of water (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit), and the atmospheric pressure is low. It's important to note that the lower the atmospheric pressure, the easier it will be for sublimation to occur.
04

Recognize the role of ice crystals in sublimation

When wet laundry is hung out on a cold winter day, the water in the fabric will freeze and form ice crystals. These ice crystals are exposed to the cold, dry air. Due to the difference in vapor pressure between the ice and the air, the water molecules in the ice crystals will transform directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase, through the process of sublimation.
05

Observe the drying process of wet laundry

As the ice crystals sublimate, the water content in the wet laundry decreases over time. Eventually, the laundry will become dry as most of the water molecules have been transformed into water vapor and released into the air through the process of sublimation. In conclusion, the process of sublimation is responsible for the drying of wet laundry when hung on a clothesline on a cold winter day. Although the laundry initially freezes, the ice crystals directly transition into water vapor due to the temperature and pressure conditions, leading to the eventual drying of the laundry.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

General Zod has sold Lex Luthor what Zod claims to be a new copper-colored form of kryptonite, the only substance that can harm Superman. Lex, not believing in honor among thieves, decided to carry out some tests on the supposed kryptonite. From previous tests, Lex knew that kryptonite is a metal having a specific heat capacity of 0.082 $\mathrm{J} / \mathrm{g} \cdot^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\( and a density of 9.2 \)\mathrm{g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}$ Lex Luthor's first experiment was an attempt to find the specific heat capacity of kryptonite. He dropped a \(10 \mathrm{g} \pm 3 \mathrm{g}\) sample of the metal into a boiling water bath at a temperature of $100.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} \pm 0.2^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$ . He waited until the metal had reached the bath temperature and then quickly transferred it to \(100 \mathrm{g} \pm\) 3 \(\mathrm{g}\) of water that was contained in a calorimeter at an initial temperature of \(25.0^{\circ} \mathrm{C} \pm 0.2^{\circ} \mathrm{C}\) . The final temperature of the metal and water was \(25.2^{\circ} \mathrm{C} .\) Based on these results, is it possible to distinguish between copper and kryptonite? Explain. When Lex found that his results from the first experiment were inconclusive, he decided to determine the density of the sample. He managed to steal a better balance and determined the mass of another portion of the purported kryptonite to be \(4 \mathrm{g} \pm 1 \mathrm{g} .\) He dropped this sample into water contained in a \(25-\mathrm{mL}\) graduated cylinder and found that it displaced a volume of \(0.42 \mathrm{mL} \pm 0.02 \mathrm{mL}\) . Is the metal copper or kryptonite? Explain. Lex was finally forced to determine the crystal structure of the metal General Zod had given him. He found that the cubic unit cell contained four atoms and had an edge length of \(600 . \mathrm{pm}\) . Explain how this information enabled Lex to identify the metal as copper or kryptonite. Will Lex be going after Superman with the kryptonite or seeking revenge on General Zod? What improvements could he have made in his experimental techniques to avoid performing the crystal structure determination?

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