The three states of matter, solid, liquid, and gas, can undergo state changes when exposed to or lose heat. For example, when you open the lid of the freezer, the sudden heat is seen and the steam spreading to the environment is one of the strongest examples that can be given to the change of state of matter. Today, we will answer the question of how deposition and sublimation, which are the state changes of matter, happen. In fact, the state changes that we often see in our daily lives have more details than we see.
If you are wondering how frosting happens, we have explained in detail for you what kind of a state change the material experiences when it defrosts. However, we detailed the question of how sublimation happens, which is the opposite of defrosting, by exemplary with the items. If you wish, without further ado, let’s examine what frost and sublimation are, together with examples.
Contents
First, what is frostbite?
Before we give examples of Sublimation and Defrosting, we need to know what these terms mean. Deposition is the name given to the change of state of matter by heat change. For example, consider a gaseous substance. If this substance solidifies without going into a liquid state when it heats up, this situation is called defrosting. The direct change of matter from gaseous state to solid state with a sudden temperature change can also be called back sublimation with deposition.
So how does defrosting happen, how does it happen?
Deposition occurs when a gaseous substance directly turns into a solid. To give a simple example of frost, when you go out in the morning hours of winter, you will notice that the leaves of trees around you or the roofs of cars are covered with ice. These ices are formed when gas in the air directly turns into solid due to cold. In short, frost formation occurs due to the extreme cold in the air.
Matter changes from gaseous to solid when it reaches the right conditions. This situation, which needs to happen sequentially, can often create conditions such as defrosting.
Defrosting examples:
- Conversion of water vapor in the air to ice, as seen on leaves or on the tops of cars on cold mornings
- Solidification of the iodine gas produced by heating when it comes into contact with cold glass.
- Crystal fragments formed on the grass
- The fact that metals are covered with materials that pass from gas to solid in industries
- Hail and snowfall with sudden temperature change
The most basic examples we can give to defrost consist of the list above. The most basic example of frosting is when the steam solidifies and sticks to tree leaves and the tops and windows of automobiles as ice in cold weather in the morning. However, defrosting occurs in many areas that we can cite as examples.
Another state of matter: What is sublimation?
Sublimation is the opposite of defrosting. If we remember deposition, we have named the direct transformation of gaseous matter into solid as deposition. Sublimation is the name given to the exact opposite of this reaction. In other words, we call sublimation when a solid substance is heated and directly produces gas without becoming liquid. In the case of sublimation, as in the case of frost, the substance never turns into a liquid. It is rapidly converted directly from the solid state to the gas state.
In order for sublimation to occur, the substance must receive heat. During the sublimation state, the substance does not give off heat. In other words, if we need to say in the branch of chemistry, the sublimation event is known as an endothermic event.
How does sublimation happen, how does it happen?
Sublimation is an endothermic event. Defrosting, on the other hand, is the opposite, an exothermic event. In chemistry, endothermic means receiving heat, while exothermic means giving off heat. Sublimation occurs when a completely solid substance turns directly into a gas by taking heat. If the substance turns into a liquid state before it turns into a gas state by taking heat, this cannot be given as an example of sublimation. Sublimation and defrosting events are reaction states that take place directly between the solid and gaseous states of matter.
We all know that matter has state transitions. There are many states of matter, from solid to liquid, liquid to gas, gas to liquid, liquid to solid. These changes of state also have their own names. The transformation from solid to gas is called sublimation, or the transformation from gas to solid is called deposition.
Examples of sublimation:
- Arsenic, one of the most toxic substances found in nature, evaporates when exposed to heat and turns into a gas.
- Iodine, which is found in very little in our nature, turns into gas when heated.
- The naphthalene we use in our homes sublimes when exposed to heat and turns into a gas.
- Dry ice turns into gas after being heated
- When you open the door of the deep freezer, the steam dispersed to the environment
We can give the above examples of sublimation. If you want to see the closest example, open the lid of the freezer in your home and you may notice that the steam dispersed in your kitchen is the result of sublimation. Or, you will see that the dry ice, which is frequently used in visual feasts today, releases a lot of steam to the environment after it is taken out of the storage container. These are the most basic examples we can give to the sublimation phenomenon.
What are the differences between defrosting and sublimation?
If you’re wondering what the differences between defrosting and sublimation are, in fact, the two phases are known to be the opposite of each other. For example, as in the examples given above, the direct transition of matter from gas to solid is known as deposition. Sublimation, on the other hand, is the name given to the transformation of matter from solid state to gas state again by exposure to heat. Defrosting is known as an exothermic event, while Sublimation is known as an endothermic event.
Separating the two is actually quite simple, although it may seem difficult. If the substance turns from solid to gas, we can summarize it as sublimation, and if it turns from gas to solid, it can be summarized as deposition. By performing some of the examples we have given above at home, you can carry out your experiments on defrosting and sublimation without being exposed to any danger. But of course, let’s not forget that you should avoid substances that will harm you and your environment while conducting your experiment.
We have discussed the questions of what is frost and sublimation and what are the examples for you. If you are wondering about defrosting examples and sublimation examples, which are the exact opposite of defrosting, we have listed the basic items for you above. If you are taking chemistry lessons or if you have taken chemistry lessons in your previous education life, you can have a little control of defrosting and sublimation. What examples would you give of defrosting or sublimation? Don’t forget to share with us in the comments!