Antoine equation Created 2026-10-25 Updated 2026-11-05
The Antoine equation is an empirical vapor pressure fit whose coefficients depend on the pressure and temperature units and on a stated validity interval. Its slope is . In the ideal-vapor Clausius-Clapeyron approximation, this implies latent heat . An accurate pressure fit need not give an equally accurate derivative; extrapolation to the liquid-gas critical point cannot replace the full Clausius-Clapeyron relation.
Rename the Antoine equation coefficients to distinguish them from the heat-capacity constants. The logarithmic slope is independent of the pressure unit:Using an ideal vapour and neglecting liquid specific volume, Clausius–Clapeyron gives . Therefore the positive magnitude of the latent heat released on condensation isFor , over the quoted range. With , this fit implies approximately at and at . The required ratio does not depend on :The decreasing trend is qualitatively consistent with the liquid and vapour phases becoming less distinct towards the liquid-gas critical point. However, the full Clapeyron relation is : at criticality the two specific volumes merge and the latent heat vanishes. Neglecting and treating the vapour as ideal then fail. The Antoine coefficients are not licensed for extrapolation beyond , and derivatives of an approximate pressure fit can be less accurate than the fitted pressures themselves.
A concrete check exposes the extrapolation failure: at the supplied critical temperature the formula would still give , rather than zero, and rather than . Above the true liquid-gas critical point there is no liquid–vapour coexistence curve or condensation latent heat in the same sense. The last panel of the original figure in solution makes this limitation visible.