where is a glass of ice water colder: denver or los angeles?

[greatoutdoors]

---

Members don't see this ad.

a glass of ice water will be colder in los angeles than in denver, because denver is at lower atmospheric pressure than LA. therefore, ice melts at a higher temperature in denver than in low angeles.

however, water will boil at a LOWER temp in denver than in los angeles.

water is unique in the fact the the equilibrium line between solid and liquid is negatively sloped

 

[unhappytnt]

Since the air pressure in Denver is lower, shouldn't the ice melt at a lower temperature?

Also, I was under the impression that pressure affects the boiling point and not freezing/melting points because the intermolecular forces between the solid and liquid phase is pretty much identical, whereas it's much less in the gas phase because of the high kinetic energy between the molecules.

 

[Rabolisk]

Since the air pressure in Denver is lower, shouldn't the ice melt at a lower temperature?

Also, I was under the impression that pressure affects the boiling point and not freezing/melting points because the intermolecular forces between the solid and liquid phase is pretty much identical, whereas it's much less in the gas phase because of the high kinetic energy between the molecules.

Ice melts at a higher temperature at lower air pressure.

Pressure affects both, although it barely affects freezing/melting points. Realistically, the difference in melting points between LA and Denver would probably be less than 0.1 degrees.

 

[unhappytnt]

Ice melts at a higher temperature at lower air pressure.

Pressure affects both, although it barely affects freezing/melting points. Realistically, the difference in melting points between LA and Denver would probably be less than 0.1 degrees.

Oops. You and OP are right.

And yeah, I remember reading that pressure didn't affect the freezing/melting point. But I guess it does make a small difference.

 

[SmokeyJunior]

I might be wrong (usually am) but for the second part involving BP I remember the boiling point temp for a fluid is when the Vapor pressure = the atmospheric pressure so at an area with a much lower atm pressure, vapor pressure would have to equal a much less atm pressure to hit the boiling point hence it won't need as high a temperature as before or say in LA. Am sure some one else who knows their stuff can expand. Questions like these get the brain
I memorized the melting point part for the first one... good to get an explanation.

Off to bed i go.