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A beaker of water being heated over a flame. The beaker is shown at three different times. In the first, at twenty degrees C, a small bubble sits on the bottom of the beaker. In the second step, the water temperature is fifty degrees C and the bubble is larger, though still sitting on the bottom of the beaker. In the third step, the water temperature is one hundred degrees C. The bubble is larger and is rising toward the surface.
(a) An air bubble in water starts out saturated with water vapor at 20 º C size 12{"20"°C} {} . (b) As the temperature rises, water vapor enters the bubble because its vapor pressure increases. The bubble expands to keep its pressure at 1.00 atm. (c) At 100 º C size 12{"100"°C} {} , water vapor enters the bubble continuously because water’s vapor pressure exceeds its partial pressure in the bubble, which must be less than 1.00 atm. The bubble grows and rises to the surface.

Freeze drying is a process in which substances, such as foods, are dried by placing them in a vacuum chamber and lowering the atmospheric pressure around them. How does the lowered atmospheric pressure speed the drying process, and why does it cause the temperature of the food to drop?

Decreased the atmospheric pressure results in decreased partial pressure of water, hence a lower humidity. So evaporation of water from food, for example, will be enhanced. The molecules of water most likely to break away from the food will be those with the greatest velocities. Those remaining thus have a lower average velocity and a lower temperature. This can (and does) result in the freezing and drying of the food; hence the process is aptly named freeze drying.

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Phet explorations: states of matter

Watch different types of molecules form a solid, liquid, or gas. Add or remove heat and watch the phase change. Change the temperature or volume of a container and see a pressure-temperature diagram respond in real time. Relate the interaction potential to the forces between molecules.

States of Matter: Basics

Section summary

  • Relative humidity is the fraction of water vapor in a gas compared to the saturation value.
  • The saturation vapor density can be determined from the vapor pressure for a given temperature.
  • Percent relative humidity is defined to be
    percent relative humidity = vapor density saturation vapor density × 100 . size 12{ size 11{"percent relative humidity"= { { size 11{"vapor density"}} over { size 11{"saturation vapor density"}} } times "100" "." }} {}
  • The dew point is the temperature at which air reaches 100% relative humidity.

Conceptual questions

Because humidity depends only on water’s vapor pressure and temperature, are the saturation vapor densities listed in [link] valid in an atmosphere of helium at a pressure of 1 . 01 × 10 5 N/m 2 size 12{1 "." "01"´"10" rSup { size 8{5} } " N/m" rSup { size 8{2} } } {} , rather than air? Are those values affected by altitude on Earth?

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Why does a beaker of 40 . 0 º C size 12{"40" "." 0°C} {} water placed in a vacuum chamber start to boil as the chamber is evacuated (air is pumped out of the chamber)? At what pressure does the boiling begin? Would food cook any faster in such a beaker?

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Why does rubbing alcohol evaporate much more rapidly than water at STP (standard temperature and pressure)?

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Problems&Exercises

Dry air is 78.1% nitrogen. What is the partial pressure of nitrogen when the atmospheric pressure is 1 . 01 × 10 5 N/m 2 size 12{1 "." "01"´"10" rSup { size 8{5} } " N/m" rSup { size 8{2} } } {} ?

7 . 89 × 10 4 Pa size 12{ size 11{7 "." "89" times "10" rSup { size 8{4} } " Pa"}} {}

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(a) What is the vapor pressure of water at 20 . 0 º C size 12{"20" "." 0°C} {} ? (b) What percentage of atmospheric pressure does this correspond to? (c) What percent of 20 . 0 º C size 12{"20" "." 0°C} {} air is water vapor if it has 100% relative humidity? (The density of dry air at 20 . 0 º C size 12{"20" "." 0°C} {} is 1 . 20 kg/m 3 size 12{1 "." "20"" kg/m" rSup { size 8{3} } } {} .)

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Pressure cookers increase cooking speed by raising the boiling temperature of water above its value at atmospheric pressure. (a) What pressure is necessary to raise the boiling point to 120 . 0 º C size 12{"120" "." 0°C} {} ? (b) What gauge pressure does this correspond to?

(a) 1 . 99 × 10 5 Pa size 12{ size 11{1 "." "99" times "10" rSup { size 8{5} } " Pa"}} {}

(b) 0.97 atm

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Questions & Answers

distinguish between anatomy and physiology
Amina Reply
Anatomy is the study of internal structure of an organism while physiology is the study of the function/relationship of the body organs working together as a system in an organism.
adeyeye
distinguish between anatomy and physiology
Erny Reply
regional anatomy is the study of the body regionally
Ismail Reply
what is the meaning of regional anatomy
Aminat Reply
epithelial tissue: it covers the Hollow organs and body cavities
Esomchi Reply
in short way what those epithelial tissue mean
Zainab Reply
in short way what those epithelial tissue mean
Chizoba
What is the function of the skeleton
Lilias Reply
movement
Ogar
Locomotion
Ojo
support
Aishat
and body shape/form
Aishat
what is homeostasis?
Samuel Reply
what's physiology
AminchiSunday Reply
what is physiology
AminchiSunday
physically is the study of the function of the body
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that is what I want ask
YAU
u are wright
YAU
pls what are the main treatment of hiccups
YAU
physiology is the study of the function of the body
Najaatu
hiccups happen when something irritates the nerves that course your diaphragm to contract
Najaatu
how did hypothalamus manege to control all activities of the various hormones
malual
what is protein
Abdulsalam
how can I treat pain a patient feels after eating meals
Namuli Reply
how do I treat a three year old baby of skin infection?
Okocha Reply
It depends on the type of infection. Bacterial, fungal, parasitic or viral?
schler
if you can share the sign ad symptoms of the skin infection then u geh the treatment cox they're different sign ad symptoms of skin infection with different treatment
Sa
the sign and symptoms of maleria
Abdulsalam
prostaglandin and fever
Maha Reply
yes
rayyanu
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rayyanu
prostaglandin E2 is the final mediator.
Lemlem
prostaglandin E2 is the final mediator of fever.
Lemlem
yes
Agabi
good evening
Jediel
tissue.
Akoi
explain
Chizoba
Hi
Anya
,good evening
Anya
Discuss the differences between taste and flavor, including how other sensory inputs contribute to our  perception of flavor.
John Reply
taste refers to your understanding of the flavor . while flavor one The other hand is refers to sort of just a blend things.
Faith
While taste primarily relies on our taste buds, flavor involves a complex interplay between taste and aroma
Kamara
which drugs can we use for ulcers
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omeprazole
Kamara
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Renee
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is a drug
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of anti-ulcer
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Omeprazole Cimetidine / Tagament For the complicated once ulcer - kit
Patrick
what is the function of lymphatic system
Nency Reply
Not really sure
Eli
to drain extracellular fluid all over the body.
asegid
The lymphatic system plays several crucial roles in the human body, functioning as a key component of the immune system and contributing to the maintenance of fluid balance. Its main functions include: 1. Immune Response: The lymphatic system produces and transports lymphocytes, which are a type of
asegid
to transport fluids fats proteins and lymphocytes to the blood stream as lymph
Adama
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Source:  OpenStax, College physics. OpenStax CNX. Jul 27, 2015 Download for free at http://legacy.cnx.org/content/col11406/1.9
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