what is vacuum

A vacuum is a space devoid of matter, characterized by a gaseous pressure much less than atmospheric pressure. It is a condition well below normal atmospheric pressure and is measured in units of pressure, such as the pascal. In practice, only partial vacuums are possible, and a perfect vacuum, where all matter has been removed, is impossible to recreate on Earth. Vacuum is used in various fields such as food processing, material handling, and industrial and laboratory applications. The word "vacuum" is derived from the Latin adjective "vacuus" for "vacant" or "void".