Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 100%

Referring to the chart below, which of the following scenarios is an example of sublimation?

Diagram for question

Rationale

A student walks to school and notices frost on the grass; when they walk home, the grass is dry.

This scenario correctly illustrates an example of sublimation, a phase transition in which a substance moves directly from the solid state to the gas state without passing through a liquid state. In this case, frost (solid water) on the grass sublimates throughout the day, transitioning directly into water vapor (gas) in the warmer air.

A (A student walks to school and notices frost on the grass; when they walk home, the grass is dry) CORRECT

This scenario is a proper depiction of sublimation. Frost, which is frozen water, sublimates, or transitions directly from a solid to a gas when the temperature increases during the day. This change from solid to gas bypasses the liquid phase, hence it is a clear example of sublimation.

B (A bus driver observed dew on the windshield in the morning it dried after driving) YOUR ANSWER

This scenario is not sublimation but rather evaporation. Dew is liquid water that has condensed from atmospheric moisture onto cooler surfaces. When the dew "dries" or disappears, it is because the liquid water has evaporated, transitioning to a gas state. This process involves a change from liquid to gas, not from solid to gas, and therefore it does not exemplify sublimation.

C (A parent sees snow on the steps when arising, but a puddle of water when exiting the house) YOUR ANSWER

This scenario describes melting, not sublimation. When snow (solid water) turns into a puddle of water (liquid), it has undergone a phase transition from solid to liquid. This process is known as melting, not sublimation, which involves a direct transition from solid to gas without an intermediate liquid phase.

D (None of the above) YOUR ANSWER

This option is incorrect because option A is a valid example of sublimation.

Conclusion

Sublimation is a phase transition from solid to gas, bypassing the liquid state. The scenario where a student walks to school and notices frost on the grass and then walks home to find the grass dry is a clear example of sublimation. The frost, which is solid water, sublimates—turns directly into a gas—when the temperature rises. The other options describe different phase transitions—evaporation and melting—and are therefore not examples of sublimation.

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