A bottle of water at 0'C is opened on the surface of moon. What happens and why?

In summary, a bottle of water at 0'C opened on the surface of the moon will rapidly lose any air and water due to the lack of atmosphere. This is because the boiling point of water is much lower in a vacuum compared to on Earth. The water will either freeze, boil, or sublimate depending on the temperature and radiation flux. The Apollo astronauts used this process to provide cooling and remove humidity from their suits.
  • #1
Manis
8
0
A bottle of water at 0'C is opened on the surface of moon. What happens and why?
 
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  • #2
It makes no sound, because the moon has no atmosphere. :uhh:
 
  • #3
Any air in the bottle and water will rapidly escape. Any water left would then boil off.
 
  • #4
Manis said:
A bottle of water at 0'C is opened on the surface of moon. What happens and why?

I imagine the same thing as what happens to the ice already on the moon.
 
  • #5
but how is it possible?
 
  • #6
Manis said:
but how is it possible?

How is what possible :confused:
 
  • #7
It's a somewhat more complicated picture than that. Boiling point rises and lowers with increasing and decreasing atmospheric pressure. Since there is no air pressure to speak of on the moon, the boiling point should be much lower than 100C. However, in order to change from the solid (remember it's at 0 degrees initially) it starts as a chunk of ice, and boils off at a rate that depends upon the radiation flux (which would impart sufficient energy to teh H2O molecules to allow them to escape). The higher the flux, the faster it boils off.
 
  • #8
daveb said:
It's a somewhat more complicated picture than that. Boiling point rises and lowers with increasing and decreasing atmospheric pressure. Since there is no air pressure to speak of on the moon, the boiling point should be much lower than 100C. However, in order to change from the solid (remember it's at 0 degrees initially) it starts as a chunk of ice, and boils off at a rate that depends upon the radiation flux (which would impart sufficient energy to teh H2O molecules to allow them to escape). The higher the flux, the faster it boils off.

Water is a vapor at 0 deg. C in a vacuum. If the water was initially frozen it will sublimate to steam.

[PLAIN]http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/images/phase.gif [Broken]
 
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  • #9
That's pretty much what I said. The term "boils off" isn't technically accurate (sublimates off sounds too weird) so perhaps the word choice could have been better, but the idea remains. But the rate does depend upon the radiation flux.
 
  • #10
Just because it is at 0deg celcius doesn't mean it is solid. You also didn't specify what pressure the bottle is providing, it is probably not 14.7psi. Another reason why it isn't likely to be solid.
 
  • #11
QuantumPion said:
Water is a vapor at 0 deg. C in a vacuum. If the water was initially frozen it will sublimate to steam.

This process will reduce the temperature of the water, however...it won't stay at 0 C. If liquid, it will quickly freeze and boil until it is a mixture of vapor and ice with no remaining liquid. If isolated in the shade, the ice will continue to cool as it sublimates until it gets below around 200K, at which point it'll be stable as a solid. If in the sun or exposed to other sources of heat sufficient to keep it above that temperature, it'll continue to sublimate away. The Apollo astronauts used sublimation units that used this to provide cooling and remove humidity from the air in their suits.
 

1. What happens to the water when it is opened on the moon's surface at 0°C?

The water will quickly boil and evaporate due to the low atmospheric pressure on the moon's surface. This is because the boiling point of water is lower at lower pressures, and there is almost no atmospheric pressure on the moon.

2. Why does the water boil and evaporate on the moon's surface?

The lack of atmosphere on the moon means there is no air pressure to keep the water molecules from escaping into the air as gas. Additionally, the low atmospheric pressure means that the water's boiling point is much lower than at sea level on Earth.

3. Is it possible for water to exist as a liquid on the moon's surface at 0°C?

No, it is not possible for liquid water to exist on the moon's surface at 0°C. The lack of atmospheric pressure and extreme temperatures make it impossible for liquid water to exist in its natural state on the moon.

4. How does the lack of atmosphere on the moon affect the behavior of water?

The lack of atmosphere on the moon greatly affects the behavior of water. Without atmospheric pressure, the water molecules have no force holding them together, causing them to quickly escape into the air as gas. The low atmospheric pressure also means that water will boil at much lower temperatures than on Earth.

5. Could water be stored and transported on the moon's surface at 0°C?

No, water cannot be stored or transported on the moon's surface at 0°C. It would quickly boil and evaporate due to the lack of atmospheric pressure, making it impossible to maintain a liquid state. Special equipment and conditions would be needed to store and transport water on the moon's surface.

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