Applications of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, 3rd Edition

61Chapter 2: Contaminant Behavior in the Environment

intermolecular forces are unbalanced, the system seeks a balance by causing the

atoms and molecules to change phase and/or the distribution of chemical species:

• Solids may dissolve, melt, or vaporize.

• Liquids may freeze, precipitate some components, dissociate some species,

sorb to surfaces, or evaporate.

• Nonpolar liquids may separate from polar liquids, and vice versa.

• Gases may condense, dissolve, or sorb onto surfaces.

• Different species in any phase may chemically react.

These tendencies to reach equilibrium can be described quantitatively with various

equations, all of which are ...