What is the Difference Between Sublimation and Condensation

The key difference between sublimation and condensation is that sublimation occurs when something goes from the solid state to the gaseous state without undergoing the liquid state, whereas condensation occurs when water vapor becomes liquid.

Sublimation and condensation are important terms regarding phase changes of matter. Sublimation is the process of changing the state of the matter directly from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid phase. Condensation is the conversion of a substance (such as water) from the vapour state to a denser liquid state, usually initiated by a reduction in the temperature of the vapour.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Sublimation 
3. What is Condensation
4. Sublimation vs Condensation in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Sublimation vs Condensation

What is Sublimation?

Sublimation is the process of changing the state of the matter directly from a solid to a gas without going through a liquid phase. Generally, when we heat up a solid to its melting point, it will change its phase to a liquid. When the liquid is further heated up to its boiling point, it will change state to a gas. This is not the case with sublimation. Sublimation is the process of directly changing the state from solid to gas.

We can observe this process only under special situations in special materials. Pure naphthalene is such a subliming material. Another substance that sublimes is solid carbon dioxide, which is also known as dry ice. Iodine crystals, ice, and snow behave as subliming materials under some conditions. The misty gas evolving from an ice cube is subliming ice.

What is Condensation?

Condensation is the conversion of a substance (such as water) from the vapour state to a denser liquid state, usually initiated by a reduction in the temperature of the vapour. Hence, it is the change of phase of matter from gas to the liquid phase. It is the opposite of boiling. Condensation starts with the formation of atomic or molecular clusters. If not, condensation starts when a gaseous phase of a substance comes into contact with a liquid or a solid surface. The temperature at which this process occurs is called the dew point.

Condensation can be observed in nature, especially in the water cycle. Therefore, it is a naturally occurring incident. In the water cycle, the water vapour in the air is converted into liquid water. This condensation is responsible for the formation of clouds.

What is the Difference Between Sublimation and Condensation?

The key difference between sublimation and condensation is that sublimation occurs when something goes from the solid state to the gaseous state without undergoing the liquid state, whereas condensation occurs when water vapor becomes liquid. Moreover, sublimation is an endothermic process that takes place at temperatures and pressures below the triple point of the chemical compound. On the other hand, condensation is an exothermic process. Furthermore, sublimation only occurs under special situations in special materials, while condensation is a natural phenomenon observed in nature, especially in the water cycle.

Below is a summary of the difference between sublimation and condensation in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Sublimation vs Condensation

Condensation and sublimation are important phase-changing processes that can be observed naturally. The key difference between sublimation and condensation is that sublimation occurs when something goes from the solid state to the gaseous state without undergoing the liquid state, whereas condensation occurs when water vapor becomes liquid.

Reference:

1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. “Sublimation Definition (Phase Transition in Chemistry).” ThoughtCo, Jan. 13, 2019.
2. “Condensation.” National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Dry Ice Sublimation 1” By Christopher from Salem, OR, USA – Fun with Dry Ice 1Uploaded by Diaa_abdelmoneim (CC BY-SA 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Water condensation on a window pane” (CC0) via Public Domain Pictures