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ScienceSurprise 5/5Difficulty 4/5Reviewed on September 17, 2026

Water can boil and freeze simultaneously at its triple point, which occurs at 0.01 degrees Celsius and 611.657 pascals of pressure.

Why it is true

The triple point is a unique combination of temperature and pressure where all three phases of matter (solid, liquid, and gas) coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium. For water, this happens at a very low pressure, allowing ice to melt, water to boil, and vapor to condense at the same time.

Source: MIT

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