Where is a bubble point on a TXY diagram?

Answered by Robert Flynn

Well, let me start by saying that a bubble point on a TXY diagram is an important concept in thermodynamics. This diagram is used to represent the phase behavior of a mixture of two components. The TXY diagram shows the temperature (T) on the x-axis and the mole fraction of one component (X) on the y-axis.

Now, let’s get into the specifics of the bubble point. The blue line on the TXY diagram represents the liquid-phase boundary or the bubble point. This line shows the conditions at which the mixture is in equilibrium between the liquid and vapor phases. In other words, it represents the temperature and composition at which the first bubble of vapor forms when the system is heated at constant pressure.

To understand this better, let’s imagine a situation where we have a binary mixture of two components, A and B, with a total of 1 mol. The black dot on the TXY diagram represents the initial composition of the mixture. As we move the black dot along the blue liquid-phase boundary, we are increasing the temperature of the system while keeping the pressure constant.

As we increase the temperature, the amount of vapor phase in the system starts to increase. The bar chart that accompanies the TXY diagram shows the amounts of liquid (blue) and vapor (green) in the system. The sum of the blue and green bars represents the total amount of the mixture, which is 1 mol in this case.

As we continue to increase the temperature, the amount of vapor phase increases, and the black dot moves along the blue line. At the bubble point, the entire mixture is in the vapor phase, and there is no liquid phase present. This is represented by the black dot reaching the top of the diagram and the green bar in the bar chart reaching its maximum value.

So, in summary, the bubble point on a TXY diagram represents the conditions at which a mixture of two components is in equilibrium between the liquid and vapor phases. It is the temperature and composition at which the first bubble of vapor forms when the system is heated at constant pressure.