Pure acetic acid, which gives the sour taste to vinegar, has a melting point of 16.7 ° C and a boiling point of 118 ° C . Predict the physical state of acetic acid when the ambient temperature is 10 ° C .

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the melting point and boiling point of acetic acid: 16.7 °C and 118 °C, respectively.
2. Determine the ambient temperature given in the problem: 10 °C.
3. Compare the ambient temperature to the melting point: 10 °C is less than 16.7 °C.
4. Since the ambient temperature is below the melting point, acetic acid will be in a solid state.
5. Conclude that at 10 °C, acetic acid is expected to be solid because it is below its melting point.

Key Concepts

Melting and Boiling Points

The melting point is the temperature at which a solid becomes a liquid, while the boiling point is the temperature at which a liquid turns into a gas. For acetic acid, the melting point is 16.7 °C and the boiling point is 118 °C. These points are critical for determining the physical state of a substance at a given temperature.

Physical States of Matter

Matter exists in different physical states: solid, liquid, and gas. The state of a substance depends on temperature and pressure. At temperatures below the melting point, a substance is solid; between the melting and boiling points, it is liquid; and above the boiling point, it is gas. Understanding these states helps predict the behavior of substances under varying conditions.

Temperature and Phase Changes

Temperature plays a crucial role in phase changes, which are transitions between solid, liquid, and gas states. When the temperature is below the melting point, a substance remains solid, while temperatures above the boiling point result in a gaseous state. In this case, since the ambient temperature is 10 °C, which is below the melting point of acetic acid, it will remain in a solid state.