Editing 1561: Water Phase Diagram

This is a modified version of the {{w|phase diagram}} for {{w|water}}. A "phase diagram" is a chart that shows the states, or "phases", that a substance will be in under various temperatures and pressures. {{w|Ice#Phases|Water's phases}} are particularly well-studied; on the [https://webhome.phy.duke.edu/~hsg/363/table-images/water-phase-diagram.gif real phase diagram for water], there are a great many phases listed.

Most people are familiar with three phases of water — solid ({{w|ice}}), liquid (water), and gas ({{w|Water vapor|vapour}}) — and with the fact that an increase in temperature will cause water to change from one state to another. The gas and liquid phases are quite straightforward; however, there is in fact not one single solid phase of water, but a variety of numbered phases ("ice I" through "ice XVI" are currently recognized), several of which are divided into sub-categories. Ordinary, everyday ice that forms on most parts of the Earth's surface is known as "{{w|Ice Ih|ice I_h}}" ("ice one-h"). Most of the more unusual forms of ice only form under very {{w|high pressure}}.

[[Randall|Randall's]] phase diagram starts out realistically, though slightly simplified in several ways. For one, ice I_h is simply called "ice". It is focused in on a narrower area than the more complete diagram linked earlier; on that version, the "ice V" region is quite small, and "ice III" is barely visible, whereas both are quite plain to see on Randall's diagram. Lastly, where most phase diagrams have pressure increase upwards, Randall has the pressure scale increase downwards, this has been chosen to make it possible for the jokes to appear at the bottom of the chart. Else the comic would not be funny for the average reader.

Because, as the diagram continues downwards and the pressure increases, the jokes begin. Beyond the moderately high-pressure forms of ice (ice II, III and V), a real phase diagram has ice VI; Randall has "Vanilla Ice (ice VI)". {{w|Vanilla Ice}} is the stage name of a white rap/hip-hop artist from the 1990s; the initials of Vanilla Ice, and the Roman numeral six, are both VI.

Further references to "Ice Ice Baby" are found in the title text. Near the beginning of the song, Vanilla Ice raps the line, "All right stop, collaborate and listen". The unusual choice of "collaborate" in this line has made it memorable, and the word is used in the title text (in a more typical context). The phrase "survive at room temperature for several months" is likely a reference to "Ice Ice Baby" being Vanilla Ice's only major hit, humorously suggesting he faded out of the public view after a few months of fame. Finally, even the word "sample" may be deliberately chosen as a reference to the sampling of "Under Pressure". "Ice Ice Baby" was written in 1983, but in {{w|Ice_Ice_Baby#Lyrics_and_music|1990}} Vanilla Ice finally admitted that he used unmodified samples from "Under Pressure" and paid royalties to Queen and Bowie.

Randall has referenced "Ice Ice Baby" and "Under Pressure", separately and together, on many previous occasions, notably in [[159: Boombox]] and [[210: 90's Flowchart]]. The gag of having the performers of "Under Pressure" also being literally under pressure was also used in [[1040: Lakes and Oceans]].

The ''[[what if? (blog)|what if?]]'' that was current at the time of this comic's publication was [https://what-if.xkcd.com/138/ 138: Jupiter Submarine], which began with an even more fanciful phase diagram: that of a submarine. It also contains a reference to the songs "Under Pressure" and "Ice Ice Baby" in one figure, and "Can't Touch This" by M.C. Hammer in the title text of that figure (which generated similar controversy for sampling "Superfreak" by Rick James).

:[A phase diagram is shown with eight labeled regions.]

:[The horizontal axis, increasing in value to the right is labeled:]

:Ice V

:[Region below "Ice II", "Ice III", "Ice V" and "Liquid water" is labeled:]

:Vanilla Ice