law of corresponding states
Quick Summary
The law of corresponding states is a principle in physics that suggests different substances behave similarly when their pressures, temperatures, and volumes are expressed in terms of their critical values. This means that if you normalize these properties by dividing them by their respective critical pressures, temperatures, and volumes, the behavior of various substances will be comparable.123
This principle is particularly useful when studying the properties of liquids and gases, especially near their critical points. By using reduced variables (like reduced temperature (T_r = T/T_c) and reduced pressure (p_r = p/p_c)), scientists can correlate and predict properties such as vapor pressure and density for many compounds. The law of corresponding states works best for temperatures between the boiling point and the critical point, but it can break down at lower temperatures where solid-state influences become more significant.23
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
liquidBehaviour of substances near critical and triple points…commonly referred to as the law of corresponding states. Roughly speaking, this approach presumes that, if the phase diagram is plotted using reduced variables, the behaviour of all substances will be more or less the same. Reduced variables are defined by dividing the actual variable by its associated critical constant:…
Read More…commonly referred to as the law of corresponding states. Roughly speaking, this approach presumes that, if the phase diagram is plotted using reduced variables, the behaviour of all substances will be more or less the same. Reduced variables are defined by dividing the actual variable by its associated critical constant:…
Read More
gasContinuity of gaseous and liquid states…idea called the principle of corresponding states. This principle states that, if the pressure (p), volume (V), and temperature (T) of a gas are replaced, respectively, with the corresponding reduced variables—i.e., the pressure divided by the critical pressure (p/pc), the volume divided by the critical volume (V/Vc), and the temperature…
Read More…idea called the principle of corresponding states. This principle states that, if the pressure (p), volume (V), and temperature (T) of a gas are replaced, respectively, with the corresponding reduced variables—i.e., the pressure divided by the critical pressure (p/pc), the volume divided by the critical volume (V/Vc), and the temperature…
Read More