What is the process of converting a solid directly into a gas without passing through the liquid state?

What is the process of converting a solid directly into a gas without passing through the liquid state?

• A. Evaporation
• B. Sublimation
• C. Condensation
• D. Melting

Answer: (B)

The process of converting a solid directly into a gas without first transitioning through the liquid state is known as sublimation. In sublimation, molecules in a solid gain enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces, allowing them to enter the gas phase directly. This process is commonly observed in substances like dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) and iodine, which transition from solid to gas under specific conditions of temperature and pressure. Understanding sublimation is important due to its implications in various scientific fields, including chemistry and environmental science. It also illustrates a unique phase change that can occur under the right conditions, demonstrating the behavior of different materials when exposed to changes in thermal energy. Other processes listed, such as evaporation, involve the transition from liquid to gas, while condensation and melting pertain to gas-to-liquid and solid-to-liquid transitions, respectively. These distinctions clarify why sublimation is the only process that fits the description provided in the question.

The process of converting a solid directly into a gas without first transitioning through the liquid state is known as sublimation. In sublimation, molecules in a solid gain enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces, allowing them to enter the gas phase directly. This process is commonly observed in substances like dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) and iodine, which transition from solid to gas under specific conditions of temperature and pressure.

Understanding sublimation is important due to its implications in various scientific fields, including chemistry and environmental science. It also illustrates a unique phase change that can occur under the right conditions, demonstrating the behavior of different materials when exposed to changes in thermal energy.

Other processes listed, such as evaporation, involve the transition from liquid to gas, while condensation and melting pertain to gas-to-liquid and solid-to-liquid transitions, respectively. These distinctions clarify why sublimation is the only process that fits the description provided in the question.