A phase diagram is drawn for a mixture of two substances at a fixed pressure p with one liquid phase and two solid phases (Fig 6.6). The substances are labelled 1 and 2 and the diagram is shown as a function of the concentration c_1 of substance 1. This diagram presents what is called a eutectic point. At the eutectic concentration c^E_1 , the freezing temperature is the lowest. In particular, it is lower than the freezing temperatures of the pure substances (points C and D). At the eutectic, the liquid freezes into a mixture of two solid phases, the α and β phases.
a) Consider a liquid at concentration c^A_1 . As the temperature is lowered, the point A is reached. Describe qualitatively what happens then.
b) Describe what happens if a liquid of composition c^E_1 is cooled.