- A pure substance can exist as a compressed liquid, saturated liquid, saturated vapor, or superheated vapor depending on its temperature and pressure.
- The boiling point of a liquid increases with pressure. At the critical point, the saturated liquid and vapor phases become indistinguishable.
- On a pressure-volume (P-V) diagram, the boiling points form a sloping saturated liquid line, while points of complete vaporization form the saturated vapor line. These lines join at the critical point to form a dome-shaped region.