The video discusses a common myth in chemistry that elemental iodine cannot melt, only sublimate (change directly from a solid to a gas). However, the creator demonstrates that iodine can indeed melt when heated above its melting point of 114°C. The myth may have originated from the fact that sublimation and melting are often confused, and the term "sublimation" is sometimes used incorrectly. The creator suggests that a new term, "nilation," could be used to describe the evaporation of solids, which would help to clear up the confusion. The video also promotes Squarespace, a website creation tool, and encourages viewers to try it out.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Elemental iodine is often used to demonstrate sublimation, which is when a substance goes directly from a solid to a gas phase without a liquid intermediate.
2. Iodine sublimes at room temperature, but its sublimation rate is slow.
3. When iodine is heated, more molecules are able to make the transition from solid to gas phase, and a lot more vapor is given off.
4. The boiling point of iodine is about 184°C.
5. Iodine can melt, despite the common myth that it can't.
6. The melting point of iodine is around 114°C.
7. When iodine is heated above its melting point, it eventually reaches its boiling point and turns into a gas.
8. Sublimation occurs in all solids, but the rate is variable and depends on the strength of the forces keeping the solid together.
9. The melting point of a substance is dependent almost entirely on the substance alone, whereas the boiling point depends on the substance and the outside pressure.
10. The term "sublimation" can be confusing, as it is sometimes used to describe the transition from solid to gas below the triple point, and sometimes used more broadly to describe the evaporation of solids.
11. The author proposes a new term, "nilation", to exclusively describe the evaporation of solids below the triple point, to avoid confusion with the term "sublimation".
12. The author uses Wikipedia as an example of how the definition of sublimation can be unclear and inconsistent.