Chemistry
Chemistry
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So off the winds of a short story competition I am starting another short story (fingers crossed no writers block)
One of the details I have not worked out is for the planet it takes place on. I wanted a world where the 'land' is ice (ie frozen water) and the oceans were some other liquid that boils lower than 0 degrees Celsius.
Whatever this element or compound is I would like to be above -183 degrees (as i believe that is the boiling point of oxygen, i still want the humans there to be able to breathe haha)
i would also like this liquid to be toxic to humans (if they fall in the ocean or a mist of it rolls by they have to put on masks), but there are low enough amounts of it in the air that normally a mask is not needed for a ig unit.
im not too good with the chemistry so I appreciate any help from those that might be! i have looked up carbon dioxide and i think that that works. the oceans can be -57°C or higher so they boil. I cannot find any information about when CO2 becomes a gas believe it or not, so I am not sure what the air temp should be. does that sound like a workable "environment?"
thanks in advance for any help
One of the details I have not worked out is for the planet it takes place on. I wanted a world where the 'land' is ice (ie frozen water) and the oceans were some other liquid that boils lower than 0 degrees Celsius.
Whatever this element or compound is I would like to be above -183 degrees (as i believe that is the boiling point of oxygen, i still want the humans there to be able to breathe haha)
i would also like this liquid to be toxic to humans (if they fall in the ocean or a mist of it rolls by they have to put on masks), but there are low enough amounts of it in the air that normally a mask is not needed for a ig unit.
im not too good with the chemistry so I appreciate any help from those that might be! i have looked up carbon dioxide and i think that that works. the oceans can be -57°C or higher so they boil. I cannot find any information about when CO2 becomes a gas believe it or not, so I am not sure what the air temp should be. does that sound like a workable "environment?"
thanks in advance for any help
Writing
Chemistry
Science
Edited 10 y ago
Posted 10 y ago
Responses: 2
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Methane is a solid choice; it is both common (this situation actually exists on Titan, and postulated elsewhere) and fits your description.
It liquefies (assuming one atmosphere of pressure at a little cooler than you want (-164C) and freezes at -182C.
If you temperature range is fixed, a higher atmospheric pressure would raise the temperature to boil off the methane ocean.
It liquefies (assuming one atmosphere of pressure at a little cooler than you want (-164C) and freezes at -182C.
If you temperature range is fixed, a higher atmospheric pressure would raise the temperature to boil off the methane ocean.
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Suspended Profile
Dear Cpl Michael Strickler,
Carbon dioxide has no liquid state at pressures below 5.1 standard atmospheres (520 kPa). At 1 atmosphere (near mean sea level pressure), the gas deposits directly to a solid at temperatures below -78.5 °C ; -109.3 °F) and the solid sublimes directly to a gas above -78.5 °C. In its solid state, carbon dioxide is commonly called dry ice. Liquid carbon dioxide forms only at pressures above 5.1 atm; the triple point of carbon dioxide is about 518 kPa at -56.6 °C (see phase diagram). The critical point is 7.38 MPa at 31.1 °C. At temperatures and pressures above the critical point, carbon dioxide behaves as a supercritical fluid known as supercritical carbon dioxide.
Maybe liquid Ammonia? ( Melts @ -77.73 °C (-107.91 °F) Boils @ -33.34 °C (-28.01 °F)
Warmest Regards, Sandy
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide
Carbon dioxide has no liquid state at pressures below 5.1 standard atmospheres (520 kPa). At 1 atmosphere (near mean sea level pressure), the gas deposits directly to a solid at temperatures below -78.5 °C ; -109.3 °F) and the solid sublimes directly to a gas above -78.5 °C. In its solid state, carbon dioxide is commonly called dry ice. Liquid carbon dioxide forms only at pressures above 5.1 atm; the triple point of carbon dioxide is about 518 kPa at -56.6 °C (see phase diagram). The critical point is 7.38 MPa at 31.1 °C. At temperatures and pressures above the critical point, carbon dioxide behaves as a supercritical fluid known as supercritical carbon dioxide.
Maybe liquid Ammonia? ( Melts @ -77.73 °C (-107.91 °F) Boils @ -33.34 °C (-28.01 °F)
Warmest Regards, Sandy
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide
Cpl Michael Strickler
i wonder why i never found that on google?!
for ammonia it would be over freezing for the water though... any other ideas?
for ammonia it would be over freezing for the water though... any other ideas?
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Suspended Profile
Cpl Michael Strickler.
My apologies . . . RP hid the minus signs copied over from WikiPedia . . . I put them back now . . . so set your ambient temperature to something in the range of -107 deg F to -29 deg F . . . the water ice land works . . . the liquid ammonia ocean works . . . and the air doesn't liquify or freeze.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
My apologies . . . RP hid the minus signs copied over from WikiPedia . . . I put them back now . . . so set your ambient temperature to something in the range of -107 deg F to -29 deg F . . . the water ice land works . . . the liquid ammonia ocean works . . . and the air doesn't liquify or freeze.
Warmest Regards, Sandy
Cpl Michael Strickler
thanks alot... trying to keep this stuff believeable!!
Oh yeah, and i did see that page yesterday while searching, but i must have glazed over that part... Google is still a good search engine haha
Oh yeah, and i did see that page yesterday while searching, but i must have glazed over that part... Google is still a good search engine haha
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