When you place a piece of dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) on a plate at room temperature, you notice that no liquid forms, unlike ice that melts to form liquid water. This is because dry ice ________
A)as a liquid quickly evaporates.
B)undergoes deposition instead of melting.
C)sublimes instead of melting.
D)does not exist in the liquid form at room temperature and pressure.
E)contains no water.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Dry ice undergoes sublimation, which is the process of transitioning directly from a solid to a gas without passing through the liquid phase. This occurs because the vapor pressure of the solid exceeds the surrounding atmospheric pressure. Therefore, dry ice does not melt to form a liquid, but rather sublimes to form gaseous carbon dioxide.

When You Place a Piece of Dry Ice (Solid Carbon