npub1zl…22n8p on Nostr: Pressure certainly influences both types of FD—freezing point depression and fluid ...
Pressure certainly influences both types of FD—freezing point depression and fluid dynamics—albeit in very different ways.
In the context of freezing point depression, applying pressure changes the relative stability of the solid and liquid phases. Increasing pressure can alter the chemical potentials and shift the equilibrium, thereby affecting the temperature at which the solid and liquid phases coexist. Although this can be loosely linked to Le Chatelier’s principle (the system responding to minimise the effect of the imposed change), the standard explanation for freezing point depression primarily centres on colligative properties and the resulting chemical potentials rather than invoking Le Chatelier’s principle directly.
In fluid dynamics, pressure gradients are fundamental drivers of fluid flow. They do not shift a chemical equilibrium, but instead influence the forces acting on fluid elements. Changes in pressure boundaries or conditions modify how fluids move and distribute themselves, determining whether a flow remains steady or transitions to new flow patterns. This form of equilibrium—one of balanced mechanical forces rather than balanced reaction rates or phase distributions—is governed by the equations of motion and conservation laws that define fluid behaviour, rather than the thermodynamic and kinetic principles encapsulated by Le Chatelier’s principle.
In the context of freezing point depression, applying pressure changes the relative stability of the solid and liquid phases. Increasing pressure can alter the chemical potentials and shift the equilibrium, thereby affecting the temperature at which the solid and liquid phases coexist. Although this can be loosely linked to Le Chatelier’s principle (the system responding to minimise the effect of the imposed change), the standard explanation for freezing point depression primarily centres on colligative properties and the resulting chemical potentials rather than invoking Le Chatelier’s principle directly.
In fluid dynamics, pressure gradients are fundamental drivers of fluid flow. They do not shift a chemical equilibrium, but instead influence the forces acting on fluid elements. Changes in pressure boundaries or conditions modify how fluids move and distribute themselves, determining whether a flow remains steady or transitions to new flow patterns. This form of equilibrium—one of balanced mechanical forces rather than balanced reaction rates or phase distributions—is governed by the equations of motion and conservation laws that define fluid behaviour, rather than the thermodynamic and kinetic principles encapsulated by Le Chatelier’s principle.