Can a Liquid Survive in a Vacuum Without Vaporizing?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the question of whether a liquid can exist in a vacuum without vaporizing, exploring the effects of temperature, the properties of different liquids, and the concept of vapor pressure.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Debate/contested, Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that a liquid's ability to exist in a vacuum without vaporizing depends on the specific liquid in question.
  • Temperature is suggested to have a significant effect on the behavior of liquids in a vacuum.
  • One participant notes that while water might evaporate in a vacuum, the cold conditions of space could lead it to freeze instead.
  • Another participant argues that density may also influence how a liquid behaves in a vacuum, suggesting that mercury would be affected very little compared to other liquids.
  • It is mentioned that ice can vaporize, and that even solids have vapor pressures that can lead to vaporization over time.
  • One participant challenges the idea that mercury would remain unaffected, stating it will vaporize before reaching a perfect vacuum.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the behavior of specific liquids in a vacuum, indicating that there is no consensus on the matter. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the exact conditions under which different liquids might vaporize or freeze.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on specific definitions of vacuum and vapor pressure, as well as the varying properties of different liquids that may not be fully explored in the discussion.

hellboy4444
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can a liquid exist in vacuum? Wouldn't it vaporize to gaseous form?
 
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Temperature might have an effect.
 
It would depend entirely on the liquid. Temperature would have the greatest effect of course. Water for example might evaporate but since most space is cold I believe it would more likely freeze. Density might also play a role. I imagine that mercury for example would be effected very little.
 
Godspanther said:
It would depend entirely on the liquid. Temperature would have the greatest effect of course. Water for example might evaporate but since most space is cold I believe it would more likely freeze. Density might also play a role. I imagine that mercury for example would be effected very little.

Ice vaporizes quite nicely, thank you. More of the world snowfall evaporates than melts. Mercury will vaporize well before a perfect vacuum is reached. In short, if the vapor pressure (solids have vapor pressures, too) is less than the equilibrium vapor pressure, the substance will vaporize. For things like diamonds, this may take a while, but it will eventually happen.
 

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