Phase states Memes

Chemistry students know the pain! The three states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) are granted seats on the chemistry council, but aqueous solutions—essentially solutes dissolved in water—are treated like the Anakin Skywalker of phase states. Technically present in discussions but never given full recognition as a distinct phase. The perfect crystallization of scientific gatekeeping! Water might dissolve almost anything, but apparently it can't dissolve the rigid hierarchy of traditional phase classifications.

The four phases of water? Boring. But aqueous water ? Now that's where chemistry gets ridiculous. H 2 O(aq) literally means "water dissolved in water" - it's like saying "wet wetness" or "liquid liquidness." First-year chem students everywhere are having existential crises over this redundant notation. It's the chemical equivalent of saying ATM machine or PIN number. The face in the last panel perfectly captures that moment when you realize your professor wasn't joking about "aqueous water" being a legitimate term in your textbook. Chemistry: where we make simple things needlessly confusing since 1754.