Surely, every person has repeatedly come across the concept of sublimation in physics. In schools, several lessons are always devoted to this topic, and in higher education institutions aimed at a deeper study of the exact sciences, they pay special attention to it. So, in the article you will learn what sublimation and desublimation are in physics.
General concept
Sublimation in physics is the process of the transition of a substance from a solid to a gaseous state, bypassing the liquid. In another way, it is called the distillation of matter. This process is accompanied by the absorption of energy (in physics this energy is called "heat of sublimation"). The process is very important and has wide application in experimental physics.
Desublimation is, on the contrary, the process of the transition of a substance from a gaseous to a solid state. Another name for this process is “deposition”. It is the exact opposite of sublimation. During deposition, energy is released, not absorbed, and in very large quantities. Desublimation is also very important, but it is much more difficult to give an example of its purposeful use by humans, especially in everyday life.
Process description
Almost anything can serve as sublimation catalysts in physics. Sometimes substances sublimate (this is the name of this process in physics) when they reach a certain temperature. As a rule, we are talking about a temperature above average, but there are some exceptions when substances "accelerate" at negative values.
Sometimes the catalyst for this process can be oxygen. In such cases, the substance will pass into the gaseous substance upon contact with air. Incidentally, this technique is often used by directors in science fiction films. Wow, isn't it ?!
The catalysts for desublimation are absolutely similar, however, one regularity needs to be caught: all parameters, with the exception of some special chemical reactions, will be negative. That is, if during sublimation the bulk of the processes occurs at positive temperatures, then during deposition, on the contrary, low ones will appear.
It is also worth noting that the transition occurs sequentially. Each time interval corresponds to its transition.
Many scientists even divide it into stages, but this can not be done. We apply it to the sublimation, and to the reverse process. This is what allows physicists to control the process and use it even in everyday life.
Examples
There are many examples of sublimation in physics, but there are also quite a few examples of the reverse process. It is worth considering both categories.
So, examples of sublimation:
- Dry ice.This is probably the most common example of a process. Surely, everyone at least once saw or held in his hands. At one time, dry ice was an extremely popular subject for filming videos on YouTube. Almost every person has seen at least one such video. It is worth noting that ice is used not only for entertainment purposes. It also has a fairly widespread use in everyday life.
- Drying clothes in the cold.Absolutely every mistress hangs linen in the cold in winter. It would seem that it should return frozen, but returns completely dry. This is due to the fact that sublimation of water molecules occurred. This is the most obvious example of the use of sublimation in physics.
It's time to go to the deposition. It is advisable to consider examples:
- Frost.This is the most obvious example of desublimation in nature, with which absolutely everyone has associated. The process occurs with an extremely sharp cooling and too quickly passing the dew point. This phenomenon is widespread. You can see the frost in late autumn and winter. It is most clearly distinguished in October-November, when there is still quite a bit of snow.
- Pattern on the windows in winter.Yes, it turns out that it is desublimation that creates our New Year’s atmosphere. Intricate patterns arise due to the huge difference between the temperatures in the street and indoors.
What is it for?
The process of sublimation, in addition to the fact that it is often found in nature, is widespread in everyday matters. This is due to the convenience, as well as low toxicity of things prone to this process. So, here are a few examples of its use in everyday life:
- Drying clothes. As mentioned above, water molecules simply erode, bypassing one of the aggregate states. This method of drying is still almost the most popular.
- Printers of color printing. Solid colored particles of paint immediately turn into a gaseous state under the influence of pressure and temperature. Despite the fact that this method is a thing of the past, in some places it is common in our time.
- Remedies for moths and aromatic plates. Often, some of these items can be found in the closet. Such plates do not just dissolve, as many people think, but pass into a state of gas and carry a smell.
In addition, sublimation is widely used in a variety of physical experiments. It is interesting to note that in chemistry, the ability of substances to sublimation is often a fundamental cause of a qualitative reaction.
Where else is the term
The term "sublimation" can be found not only in physics and chemistry. It is also appropriate in psychology. In this science, its decoding is completely different: it is a way to “blow off steam” by radically changing its type of activity.
Also the term is used in print paths. In this area of ​​activity, the definition is changing: sublimation printing is one of the ways to transfer images to any surface with the help of ink, which undergoes a sublimation process. Simply put, this is one way to print on any surface.
Conclusion
In conclusion of this article, it should be noted that sublimation, even despite the fact that its concept is found in the most diverse areas of society, remains primarily a physical term. It is from there that, as they say, “legs grow”. Carefully read the definition of sublimation in physics, and then compare it with all other deciphers. Thus, you will see that the terms are similar in meaning. The fact is that each of them is adapted to one or another sphere of activity in question.