What is Condensation?
Condensation
Condensation is the change of the physical state of aggregation (or simply state) of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase and the reverse ofevaporation.[1] When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, bypassing the liquid phase, the change is calleddeposition. While condensation can occur in many different substances, the condensation of water vapor in air is by far the most common experienced (such as the formation of dew on a cold drink).
Condensation commonly occurs when a vapor is cooled to its dew point, but the dew point can also be reached through compression. The condensed vapor is called a condensate, the laboratory or the industrial equipment used for condensation is called a condenser.
The science of studying the thermodynamic properties of moist air and the interrelationships between these in order to analyze, and predict properties by changing in the conditions of moist air is called psychrometry. The interrelationship can be graphically represented, and prediction carried out graphically by the psychrometric chart. Most people think the water is condensation, but condensation is only the process of change.
Water vapor that naturally condenses on cold surfaces into liquid water is called dew. Water vapor will normally only condense onto another surface when the temperature of that surface is cooler than the temperature of the water vapor.