In: Chemistry
18. Explain why the vapor pressure of water in equilibrium with liquid water is temperature dependent?
The water vapour and the liquid water equilibrium is strongly dependent on temperature. The equilibrium between vapour and liquid will shifts to right or left, if temperature is altered.
Let us consider a container (probably closed) in which water is taken and heated. I.e., temperature is slowly raised andat particular temperature, equilibrium exists between vapour and liquid.
If the temperature is raised, liquid is converted into vapour or if lowered, vapour is condensed into liquid. As a result equilibrium is disturbed.
So, finally vapour-liquid equilibrium (VLE) describes the distribution of a chemical species between the has (vapour) phase and liquid phase and also confirms the dependency on temperature.