Condensation is the process by which a substance changes from a gaseous state into a liquid state. It is the opposite of evaporation, which is the process by which a liquid changes into a gas. Condensation can occur when water vapor in the air comes into contact with a cooler surface, such as the outside of a cold glass on a humid day. The process of condensation can be initiated by the formation of atomic/molecular clusters of that species within its gaseous volume, or at the contact between such gaseous phase and a liquid or solid surface. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition.
Some key points about condensation are:
- It is the transformation of water vapor into liquid water.
- It can occur when water vapor comes into contact with a cooler surface.
- It releases latent heat, which increases the sensible heat and causes the temperature of the air to rise.
- It is the opposite of evaporation.
Examples of condensation include the formation of dew and the formation of clouds.
