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A triple point is a temperature–pressure pair at which three distinct bulk thermodynamic phases of a one-component substance coexist in thermodynamic equilibrium. In the familiar solid–liquid–gas case, their three phase coexistence curves meet. Other combinations, such as two crystal polymorphs and a liquid, also qualify: “triple” counts thermodynamic phases, rather than states-of-matter categories.

For the same substance, the chemical potential in each thermodynamic phase must agree:There are two independent equality conditions for two controls, temperature and pressure. Generically they select an isolated pair $(T_t,p_t)$; the third pairwise equality follows from the first two. Equivalently, the phase rule gives $F=1-3+2=0$. This counts independent intensive controls, not phase fractions: changing the amounts of the three thermodynamic phases need not change the ideal bulk temperature and pressure, provided all three remain present. Different sets of crystal polymorphs can give different triple points for the same substance.^[ref]

At a liquid-gas critical point, the two fluid thermodynamic phases instead merge, and their mass density difference and latent heat vanish. It is the endpoint of the liquid–gas phase coexistence curve, rather than a meeting of three distinct thermodynamic phases. The regular independent-equality count used for a triple point cannot explain this merger. A triple point can retain finite mass density and entropy differences between all three thermodynamic phases.^[ref]

A triple-point cell turns phase coexistence into a reproducible reference for thermometer calibration. The NIST water-cell demonstration uses a sealed glass vessel containing water of specified isotopic composition and an open central thermometer well. Cooling this well with solid carbon dioxide and alcohol freezes an ice mantle while leaving liquid water and its vapor. The coolant is outside the sealed sample; the sample's vapor space does not communicate with room air.^[ref]

In the actual NIST cell-comparison experiment, newly frozen mantles were compared with an aged reference mantle in a controlled maintenance bath. A warm aluminium rod melted a thin inner layer around the well, allowing the mantle to rotate freely and establishing an ice–water interface close to the sensor. A standard platinum resistance thermometer and a resistance bridge measured the electrical resistance ratio to a calibrated, temperature-controlled reference resistor. Readings at two currents permitted extrapolation to zero electrical power, correcting self-heating; measured immersion depths supplied hydrostatic pressure corrections. Comparing preparations over time tested stabilization rather than assuming freshly frozen ice was ready.^[ref]

The inference is a reproducible fixed-point response for the thermometer, not a direct reading of three chemical potentials. The reference cell anchors the comparison; a water point alone does not determine a thermometer's response at every other temperature. The ideal $F=0$ argument excludes impurity and isotope variation, finite interface effects and unintended heat transfer; real cells also require adequate immersion and stable electrical references. Repeatability is evidence that these effects are controlled, not a reason to omit their uncertainty.

Since 20 May 2019 the kelvin has been defined through a fixed numerical value of the Boltzmann constant. The thermodynamic temperature of the water triple point is consequently a measured quantity with uncertainty, rather than an exact value imposed by the kelvin definition. Its continued use as an assigned reference on the International Temperature Scale of 1990 is a separate convention.^[ref][ref]

The equilibrium pressure of a vapor in contact with its liquid or solid at a specified temperature. For pure liquid–gas phase coexistence with negligible interface effects, it is the pressure on their phase coexistence curve. In a gas mixture, distinguish the component's partial pressure from the total pressure; the pure-substance Integrated Clausius-Clapeyron relation does not describe the total pressure of arbitrary humid air.

Surface water counted as ice needs warming but has already undergone melting. Its presence therefore biases a dry-ice estimate of latent heat of fusion downward. This is why drying the added ice is a quantitative control in ice-melting calorimetry, rather than cosmetic preparation. Let $m_a$ be the total added mass at $T_m$, of which a fraction $r$ is already liquid and $(1-r)$ remains solid. The correct constant-property balance isIf an analysis incorrectly treats all $m_a$ as solid and sets $Q_{\mathrm{env}}=0$, it obtainsThus $r=0.10$ gives a $10\%$ low estimate with no heat leak. Unaccounted incoming heat also lowers the estimate; outgoing heat raises it. These signs follow directly from the displayed energy balance. Conversely, dry ice initially below $T_m$ absorbs additional sensible heat; neglecting that term overestimates $L$. These are different biases and may partially cancel, so agreement with a reference value alone does not validate the controls.

For this model with $r=0$ and $Q_{\mathrm{env}}=0$, the balance predicts $T_f-T_m\simeq 8.829\mathrm{K}$, with $16.700\mathrm{kJ}$ consumed by fusion and $1.845\mathrm{kJ}$ by warming the melted water. At $r=0.10$ with the same zero leak, it predicts $T_f-T_m\simeq 10.369\mathrm{K}$ and $L_{\mathrm{app}}=300.6\mathrm{kJ}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$. A net incoming $1\mathrm{kJ}$ shifts $L_{\mathrm{app}}$ downward by a further $20\mathrm{kJ}\mathrm{k}{\mathrm{g}}^{-1}$ because $m_a=0.050\mathrm{kg}$. The warmer final water in the wet case is evidence of a smaller fusion budget, not a larger true $L$.

The work function is the minimum energy needed to remove an electron from a solid to the nearby vacuum level. A junction's effective barrier need not equal either electrode's isolated work function.