Of state. Contents and Concepts 1. Comparison of Gases, Liquids, and Solids Changes of State

Changes of State

In the chapter opener, we discussed the change of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) directly to a gas. Such a change of a substance from one state to another is called a change of state or phase transition. In the next sections, we will look at the different kinds of phase transitions and the conditions under which they occur. (A phase is a homogeneous portion of a system—that is, a given state of either a substance or a solution.)

11.2 Phase Transitions

In general, each of the three states of a substance can change into either of the other states by undergoing phase transition.