vapor
Sign in to savethumb|An ampule of nitrogen oxide vapor: brown [[nitrogen dioxide and colorless dinitrogen tetroxide, in equilibrium]] In physics, a vapor (American English) or vapour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that the vapor can be condensed to a liquid by increasing the pressure on it without reducing the temperature of the vapor. A vapor is different from an aerosol. An aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both within a gas.
AI overview
A vapor is a substance in gas form at a temperature below its critical temperature, meaning it can be turned back into a liquid simply by pressing down on it without needing to cool it. This distinction matters because it separates true vapors from aerosols, which are tiny particles suspended in gas rather than a gas itself.
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- Properties
- Vapor pressure
- Examples
- Measuring vapor
- See also
- References
thumb|An ampule of nitrogen oxide vapor: brown [[nitrogen dioxide and colorless dinitrogen tetroxide, in equilibrium]] In physics, a vapor (American English) or vapour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that the vapor can be condensed to a liquid by increasing the pressure on it without reducing the temperature of the vapor. A vapor is different from an aerosol. An aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both within a gas.
For example, water has a critical temperature of , which is the highest temperature at which liquid water can exist at any pressure. In the atmosphere at ordinary temperatures gaseous water (known as water vapor) will condense into a liquid if its partial pressure is increased sufficiently.