Sublimation is a phase transition process in which a solid turns directly into a gas without going through the intermediate liquid phase. This process occurs when the molecules of the solid gain enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces binding them together, allowing them to escape into a gaseous state. Sublimation tends to occur under conditions of low pressure and/or high temperature, where the solid's vapor pressure exceeds the surrounding pressure of the gas. Dry ice, which is solid carbon dioxide, is a common example of a substance that readily sublimates at standard atmospheric pressures and temperatures below its freezing point.
