What is the process called when a comet's solid ices turn directly into gas?
Answer
Sublimation
Sublimation is the physical process by which a substance transitions directly from a solid state to a gaseous state without entering the liquid phase. In the context of a comet, as it approaches the sun, the intense heat provides the energy necessary to break the bonds within the frozen ices located in the comet's nucleus. This rapid conversion into gas is the primary engine behind the formation of the comet's coma and tails, as the escaping gas carries with it the trapped dust particles and organic materials that have been frozen in place since the comet's formation.
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