Explain in thermodynamic terms why the melting temperature of ice decreases as pressure increases.

Expert Solution

This phenomenon is also called regelation and is used in ice skating. When the skaters skate on ice, the increased pressure due to their weight causes ice to melt and allow them to move smoothly. When this pressure is removed, the water is not formed.

This phenomena is explained by Clausius Clapeyron equation which is as follows,

dP/dT = ∆H/T∆V

where P is pressure,

T temperature,

V volume

and ∆H the change in enthalpy over the phase transition. The key to this is ∆V, which for the water ice transition the water has the lesser volume. If you think about this, or put it into the equation, you will see that raising the pressure on the ice permits the lower volume phase to form (as both change in pressure and transition of ice to water volume are inversly proportional to each other). This equation is essentially a combination of the first and second laws of thermodynamics, so we would be pleased to know that the answer to the why question is just simple thermodynamics working again.

queen_honey_blossom answered 2 years ago

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