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Condensation
The water seen on the outside of a cold glass on a hot day is an example of condensation. Additional recommended knowledge
Condensation of water in natureWater vapor from air which naturally condenses on cold surfaces into liquid water is called dew. Water vapor will only condense onto another surface when that surface is cooler than the temperature of the water vapor, or when the water vapor equilibrium in air, i. e. saturation humidity, has been exceeded. When water vapor condenses onto a surface, a net warming occurs on that surface. The water molecule brings a parcel of heat with it. In turn, the temperature of the atmosphere drops very slightly. In the atmosphere, condensation of water vapor is what produces clouds. The dew point of an air parcel is the temperature to which it must cool before condensation in the air begins to form. Also, a net condensation of water vapor occurs on surfaces when the temperature of the surface is at or below the dew point temperature of the atmosphere. Deposition is a type of condensation. Deposition, the direct formation of ice from water vapor, is a type of condensation. Frost and snow are examples of deposition. Condensation in buildingsCondensation is the most common form of dampness encountered in buildings. In buildings the internal air can have a high level of relative humidity due to the activity of the occupants (e.g. cooking, drying clothes, breathing etc.). When this air comes into contact with cold surfaces such as windows and cold walls it can condense, causing dampness.[2] Applications of condensationCondensation is a crucial component of distillation, an important application in laboratory and industrial chemistry application. Because condensation is a naturally occurring phenomenon, it can often be used to generate water in large quantities for human use. In fact, there are many structures that are made solely for the purpose of collecting water from condensation, such as fog fences, air wells and dew ponds. Such systems can often be used to retain soil moisture in areas where active desertification is occurring. In fact, certain organizations use education about water condensers in efforts to effectively aid such areas.[3] References
See also
Categories: Phase changes | Atmospheric thermodynamics |
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This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Condensation". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. |