The phenomenon of supercooling refers to the existence of a metastable:
A)liquid at a temperature below that of its critical point
B)liquid at a temperature below that of its sublimation point
C)liquid at a temperature below that of its freezing point
D)gas at a temperature below that of its critical point
E)two-phase liquid/solid mixture at the freezing point

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Supercooling refers to the phenomenon in which a liquid is cooled below its freezing point, but does not solidify immediately. This results in a metastable liquid state that can remain in its liquid form until it is disturbed or seeded with a crystal. This is why supercooled liquids can sometimes remain liquid at temperatures well below their freezing points. Option A (liquid at a temperature below that of its critical point) is incorrect as the critical point is a temperature above which a liquid cannot exist. Option B (liquid at a temperature below that of its sublimation point) is also incorrect as sublimation refers to the direct conversion of a solid to a gas without transitioning through a liquid phase. Option D (gas at a temperature below that of its critical point) is also incorrect as the critical point refers to the maximum temperature and pressure at which a gas can be liquefied, and it cannot exist as a gas below this temperature. Similarly, option E (two-phase liquid/solid mixture at the freezing point) is incorrect as a two-phase mixture cannot be considered as a single, metastable state.

The Phenomenon of Supercooling Refers to the Existence of a Metastable