(2) Heat and Change of State
Fig. 153.—The black cube in the upper corner represents one cubic inch of water. The entire cube represents the space occupied by the cubic inch of water in the form of steam. The reduced spaces at the bottom and sides show how much short the cube is of being one cubic foot. (American Radiator Co.)
184. Heat of Vaporization.—In our study of evaporation in Art. 174 we considered the more rapidly moving or vibrating molecules in the liquid escaping to the air above and the slower moving molecules being left behind in the liquid; this means that a loss of heat will result upon evaporation, the liquid remaining becoming cooler as the process continues. Now just as a ball thrown up in the air loses its kinetic energy as it rises, and acquires energy of position or potential energy, so molecules escaping from a liquid lose a certain amount of kinetic energy or heat and acquire a corresponding amount of energy of position or potential energy. Conversely, as the ball returns to the ground its potential energy is changed to kinetic energy. Similarly when vapor molecules return to the liquid condition they lose their energy of position and acquire kinetic energy. In other words, when a liquid evaporates a certain amount of heat disappears, or becomes latent and when the vapor condenses the heat reappears, or becomes sensible heat. The amount of heat that disappears when 1 g. of a substance is vaporized is called the heat of vaporization. In the case of water at its boiling point, 536 calories of heat disappear when 1 g. of water turns to vapor, and this same amount of heat reappears when the vapor condenses.
The change of volume of water on turning to steam is shown in Fig. 153.
Fig. 154.—Effect of pressure on the boiling point.
185. The Boiling Point.—The boiling temperature depends upon the pressure. The boiling point may be defined as the temperature at which bubbles of vapor are formed within the liquid. These bubbles increase the surface at which evaporation can take place in the liquid, and the principal reason why rapid application of heat to a liquid does not raise its temperature above the boiling point is that as more heat is applied more bubbles form so that the increase of evaporating surface supplies a correspondingly greater surface for cooling. The variation of the boiling temperature with changing pressure may be shown by partly filling a strong 7/8-in. test-tube with water. Close the neck with a one-hole rubber stopper through which passes a glass tube to which is attached a soft rubber tube. (See Fig. 154.) Support the tube by a holder, heat the water and boil until all the air is driven from the tube, then close the soft rubber tube with a pinch cock and hold the tube in an inverted position. On cooling the end of the tube above the water with cold water or snow, the vapor within is condensed and the pressure upon the water is reduced. Vigorous boiling begins at once. By condensing the vapor repeatedly the water may be made to boil at the room temperature. At the top of Mt. Blanc water boils at 84°C. While in steam boilers at 225 lbs. pressure to the square inch the boiling point is nearly 200°C.
186. Laws of Boiling.—The following statements have been found by experiments to be true.
1. Every liquid has its own boiling point which under the same conditions of pressure is always the same.