Kuntzleman, Thomas S., Nathan Ford, Jin-Hwan No, and Mark E. Ott. “A Molecular Explanation of How the Fog Is Produced when Dry Ice Is Placed in Water.” Journal Of Chemical Education 92, no. 4 (April 2015): 643-648. doi:10.1021/ed400754n
Abstract: Everyone enjoys seeing the cloudy white fog generated when solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) is placed in water. Have you ever wondered what physical and chemical processes occur to produce this fog? When asked this question, many chemical educators suggest that the fog is produced when atmospheric water vapor condenses on cold carbon dioxide gas that sublimes through the water. But this explanation is incorrect, as shown by Luck and co-workers in an article previously published in J. Chem. Educ. Herein, we extend this previous work by presenting some simple experiments and explanations that provide a model for how the fog forms when dry ice is placed in water. Many of these experiments can be carried out using materials found at the pharmacy, grocery store, or hardware store. The explanations involved draw from many concepts taught in general chemistry such as vapor pressure and Le Châtelier’s principle.
