Vapor

Vapor or vapour refers to the gaseous phase of a substance that is typically a solid or liquid at room temperature. It is formed when a substance undergoes phase transition from a liquid or solid phase into a gaseous phase.

Formation of Vapor

Vapor is formed through the process of evaporation, sublimation, or boiling. Evaporation is a surface phenomenon where molecules located near the liquid's edge, not contained by enough liquid pressure on one side, escape into the surroundings as vapor. Sublimation is a direct phase transition from the solid phase to the gaseous phase without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. Boiling is a process in which a liquid turns into a vapor when it is heated to its boiling point.

Properties of Vapor

Vapors exhibit properties similar to gases, such as being less dense than the liquid or solid forms of the substance and being able to expand and contract with changes in temperature and pressure. The vapor pressure of a substance is the pressure at which a vapor is in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phases in a closed system. All liquids and solids have a tendency to evaporate into a gaseous form, and all gases have a tendency to condense back to their liquid or solid form.

Applications of Vapor

Vapor has many applications in various fields. In engineering, it is used in steam engines and steam turbines. In meteorology, the concepts of water vapor and humidity play a crucial role in weather forecasting. In medicine, vapor is used in inhalation therapy and vaporizers.

See Also

• Gas
• Phase of matter
• Vaporization
• Vapor pressure
• Vaporizer