When considering the transition of a substance from a liquid to a gas at its boiling point, which factors most significantly influence the molecular motion and energy of the substance as it approaches its critical point?

At the boiling point, the temperature is high enough that the kinetic energy of molecules equals the energy needed to overcome intermolecular forces, so the liquid begins to vaporize. As the substance approaches its critical point, the pressure needed to keep it liquid rises while the temperature stays nearly constant, so molecules move more rapidly and the distinction between liquid and gas blurs. The main factors that drive this change are the increasing temperature, the decreasing strength of intermolecular attractions, and the rise in pressure that squeezes molecules closer together. Because the kinetic energy grows, molecules escape more easily, and the latent heat of vaporization diminishes until the two phases merge. For example, when water is heated near 374 °C and 22.