- #1
ehrenfest
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[SOLVED] boiling point
All of my sources say that a liquid boils when its saturated vapor pressure reaches the external pressure on the liquid. None of my sources actually explain why that makes sense.
When they say "external pressure," does that include the vapor pressure of the liquid on the liquid itself?
I just don't understand why the external pressure on the liquid from the gas above it cannot be greater than the vapor pressure of the liquid.
Homework Statement
All of my sources say that a liquid boils when its saturated vapor pressure reaches the external pressure on the liquid. None of my sources actually explain why that makes sense.
When they say "external pressure," does that include the vapor pressure of the liquid on the liquid itself?
I just don't understand why the external pressure on the liquid from the gas above it cannot be greater than the vapor pressure of the liquid.