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In thermodynamics, the triple point of a substance is the temperature and pressure at which the three phases (gas, liquid, and solid) of that
substance coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium.[1] For example, the triple point ofmercury occurs at a temperature of −38.83440 °C and a
pressure of 0.2 mPa.
In addition to the triple point for solid, liquid, and gas phases, a triple point may involve more than one solid phase, for substances with
ferent fluid phases (lambda point).[1]
multiple polymorphs. Helium-4 is a special case that presents a triple point involving two dif
The triple point of water is used to define the kelvin, the base unit of thermodynamic temperature in the International System of Units
(SI).[2] The value of the triple point of water is fixed by definition, rather than measured. The triple points of several substances are used to
define points in the ITS-90 international temperature scale, ranging from the triple point of hydrogen (13.8033 K) to the triple point of
water (273.16 K, 0.01 °C, or 32.018 °F).
The term "triple point" was coined in 1873 byJames Thomson, brother of Lord Kelvin.[3]
Contents
Triple point of water
Gas–liquid–solid triple point
High pressure phases
Triple point cells
Table of triple points
See also
References
The gas–liquid–solid triple point of water corresponds to the minimum pressure at which liquid water can exist. At pressures below the
triple point (as in outer space), solid ice when heated at constant pressure is converted directly into water vapor in a process known as
sublimation. Above the triple point, solid ice when heated at constant pressure first melts to form liquid water, and then evaporates or boils
to form vapor at a higher temperature.
For most substances the gas–liquid–solid triple point is also the minimum temperature at which the liquid can exist. For water, however,
this is not true because the melting point of ordinary ice decreases as a function of pressure, as shown by the dotted green line in the phase
diagram. At temperatures just below the triple point, compression at constant temperature transforms water vapor first to solid and then to
liquid (water ice has lower density than liquid water
, so increasing pressure leads to aliquefaction).
The triple point pressure of water was used during the Mariner 9
mission to Mars as a reference point to define "sea level". More
recent missions use laser altimetry and gravity measurements
instead of pressure to define elevation on Mars.[6]
2.1768 K
Helium-4 (lambda point)[12] 5.048 kPa (0.04982 atm)
(−270.9732 °C)
Helium-4 (bcc−He-I−He-
1.762 K (−271.388 °C) 29.725 kPa (0.29336 atm)
II)[13]
[4][5]
Water[4][5] 273.16 K (0.01 °C) 0.611657 kPa (0.00603659 atm)
See also
Critical point (thermodynamics)
Gibbs' phase rule
References
1. IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (1994)
"Triple point (http://goldbook.iupac.org/T06502.html)".
2. Definition of the kelvin (http://www1.bipm.org/en/si/base_units/)at BIPM
3. James Thomson (1873)"A quantitative investigation of certain relations between the gaseous, the liquid, and the solid
states of water-substance,"(https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044106377062;view=1up;seq=47) Proceedings of
the Royal Society, 22 : 27–36. From a footnote on page 28: " … the three curves would meet or cross each other in one
point, which I have called thetriple point."
4. International Equations for the Pressure along the Melting and along the Sublimation Curve of Ordinaryater
W Substance
(https://www.nist.gov/srd/upload/jpcrd477.pdf) W. Wagner, A. Saul and A. Pruss (1994), J. Phys. Chem. Ref. Data,23,
515.
5. Murphy, D. M. (2005). "Review of the vapourpressures of ice and supercooled water for atmospheric applications".
Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society. 131 (608): 1539–1565. Bibcode:2005QJRMS.131.1539M(http://ad
sabs.harvard.edu/abs/2005QJRMS.131.1539M) . doi:10.1256/qj.04.94 (https://doi.org/10.1256%2Fqj.04.94).
6. Carr, Michael H. (2007). The Surface of Mars. Cambridge University Press. p. 5.ISBN 0-521-87201-4.
7. Cengel, Yunus A.; Turner, Robert H. (2004). Fundamentals of thermal-fluid sciences. Boston: McGraw-Hill. p. 78.ISBN 0-
07-297675-6.
8. See Butane (data page)
9. See Chloroform (data page)
10. See Ethanol (data page)
11. See Formic acid (data page)
12. Donnelly, Russell J.; Barenghi, Carlo F. (1998). "The Observed Properties of Liquid Heliumat the Saturated Vapor
Pressure". Journal of Physical and Chemical Reference Data . 27 (6): 1217–1274. Bibcode:1998JPCRD..27.1217D(http://
adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998JPCRD..27.1217D) . doi:10.1063/1.556028 (https://doi.org/10.1063%2F1.556028).
13. Hoffer, J. K.; Gardner, W. R.; Waterfield, C. G.; Phillips, N. E. (April 1976). "Thermodynamic properties of4He. II. The bcc
phase and the P-T and VT phase diagrams below 2 K".Journal of Low Temperature Physics. 23 (1): 63–102.
Bibcode:1976JLTP...23...63H (http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1976JL TP...23...63H). doi:10.1007/BF00117245 (https://doi.o
rg/10.1007%2FBF00117245).
14. See Hexafluoroethane (data page)
15. Walas, S. M. (1990). Chemical Process Equipment – Selection and Design
. Amsterdam: Elsevier. p. 639. ISBN 0-7506-
7510-1.
16. See Isobutane (data page)
17. "Silane-Gas Encyclopedia"(https://encyclopedia.airliquide.com/silane). Gas Encyclopedia. Air Liquide. Retrieved 10 June
2018.
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