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Why does dry ice smoke?

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Answer: CO2 gas condenses water vapor

CO2 gas condenses water vaporCorrect! Dry ice (-78°C) sublimates directly into cold CO2 gas. This extremely cold gas makes nearby water vapor condense into tiny droplets—that's the fog you see! The 'smoke' is actually condensed water vapor, not CO2 itself.

Cold air becomes visibleWrong. Air doesn't become visible. The fog is water vapor condensing due to the extreme cold.

Frozen smoke is releasedWrong. There's no frozen smoke inside. The visible fog forms when cold CO2 condenses moisture from air.

Go deeper: Sublimation · Dry ice
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