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___________ will not freeze even at absolute zero unless a pressure of 2.5 MPa is applied.

a) Helium
b) Oxygen
c) Water
d) Carbon dioxide

User Hans Lub
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Final answer:

Helium will not freeze even at absolute zero unless a pressure of 2.5 MPa is applied. It is unique in this regard as it requires both a very low temperature and high pressure to become a solid due to its weak intermolecular forces.

Step-by-step explanation:

The substance that will not freeze even at absolute zero unless a pressure of 2.5 MPa is applied is Helium (a). Unlike substances like water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide, helium remains a gas at very low temperatures due to its very weak intermolecular forces. It requires both an extremely low temperature and the application of a high pressure to transition to a solid state.

At pressures below that of the triple point, a substance can exist as either gas or solid through a process called sublimation. Water, for example, will not have a liquid phase at pressures below 0.00600 atm, and carbon dioxide sublimates at a standard atmospheric pressure of 1 atm.

Helium is the only element that cannot be solidified by lowering the temperature alone; it requires the additional factor of applying a pressure above 2.5 MPa, which is a very unique characteristic among the elements. Its property of remaining a gas until extremely high pressures are applied makes it exceptional in the realm of elements.

User Siopaoman
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