Condensation

Definition of Condensation
The transformation of water vapour into liquid is known as condensation. It’s the polar opposite of
vapourisation, in which liquid water turns into a gas.
What is the Basic Process of Condensation?

Condensation is the process of converting water vapour into liquid. The loss of heat results in
condensation (latent heat of condensation, opposite of latent heat of evaporation). When moist air is
chilled, its ability to hold water vapour diminishes(Saturation Point = 100% Relative Humidity = Dew Point
reached). The extra water vapour then condenses and becomes liquid. Sublimation occurs when a gas
condenses directly into a solid form.
Cooling around very small particles called hygroscopic condensation nuclei causes condensation in free
air. Due to their ability to absorb water, dust, smoke, pollen, and sea salt make excellent nuclei.
Condensation can also happen when moist air comes into touch with a colder item, and it can happen
when the temperature is near the dew point. As a result, condensation is influenced by the quantity of
cooling and the relative humidity of the air. When the temperature of the air is reduced to dew point
while the volume remains constant, when the volume and temperature are both reduced, and when
moisture is added to the air through evaporation, condensation occurs. Dew, frost, fog, and clouds are all
forms of water vapour or moisture in the atmosphere that form after condensation. Condensation occurs
when the dew point is both lower and higher than the freezing point.
Processes of Cooling for Producing Condensation
Adiabatic Temperature Changes
 (Explained in detail in previous posts)
 When the air rises, it expands. Thus, heat available per unit volume is reduced and, therefore, the
temperature is also reduced. Such a temperature change which does not involve any subtraction of
heat, and cooling of air takes place only by ascent and expansion, is termed ‘adiabatic change’.
 The vertical displacement of the air is the major cause of adiabatic and katabatic (cold, dense air
flowing down a slope) temperature changes.
 Near the earth’s surface, most processes of change are non-adiabatic because horizontal
movements often produce mixing of air and modify its characteristics.
Non-Adiabatic Temperature Changes

 Non-adiabatic processes include cooling by radiation, conduction or mixing with colder air. The air
may be cooled due to loss of heat by radiation.
 In case there is direct radiation from moist air, the cooling produces fog or clouds, subject to
presence of hygroscopic nuclei in the air.
 Cooling by contact with a cold surface produces dew, frost or fog depending on other atmospheric
conditions.
 But the effect of cooling produced by radiation, conduction and mixing is confined to a thin layer of
the atmosphere.
 The non-adiabatic processes of cooling produce only dew, fog or frost. They are incapable of
producing a substantial amount of precipitation.
Condensation: Water Cycle

Condensation plays a crucial role in the water cycle since it is responsible for cloud formation. The
production of clouds is caused by the presence of water vapour in the air, which eventually results in rain.
The movement of water molecules causes the phase transition of water from solid to liquid to gas. In
comparison to the liquid state, water molecules are randomly distributed in vapour form. As water
molecules become more structured during condensation, heat is released into the atmosphere, causing a
phase transition from the vapour to the liquid state.
It is critical for condensation to occur so that the atmosphere is completely saturated (to reach maximum
vapour pressure). Condensation usually occurs in the presence of dust particles, smoke, or microscopic
germs. It plays an important function in the water cycle and hence aids in the preservation of the
environment’s water balance. Scientists and engineers employ it in a variety of industrial operations for
separating mixtures and producing pure compounds.
Forms of Condensation
The temperature at which the dew point is reached can be used to classify the different types of
condensation. Condensation can occur when the dew point is below freezing or 0° C, and it can also occur
when the dew point is above freezing.
The types of condensation can be divided into two groups in this way:
(1) When the dew point falls below freezing, frost, snow, and certain clouds occur.
(2) When the dew point rises above freezing, dew, mist, fog, smog, and some clouds form.
Condensation can also be characterised by where it occurs, such as at or near the earth’s surface or in
free air. The first category includes dew, white frost, fog, and mist, whereas the second category includes
clouds.
 Dew
Dew is the moisture that forms as a result of condensation. The transformation of a material from a gas
to a liquid is known as condensation. Dew is formed when water transforms from a vapour to a liquid.
Dew occurs as temperatures drop and items cool. When an object cools down enough, the air around it
cools down as well. Colder air has a poorer ability to store water vapour than warmer air. As a result,
water vapour in the air around cooled objects condenses. Dew is made up of tiny water droplets that
form when condensation happens. The dew point is the temperature at which dew develops. The dew
point fluctuates a lot depending on where you are, the weather, and what time of day it is. Dew is more
prone to form in humid places, such as the warm, coastal tropics, than in desert ones. The amount of
water vapour in the air is measured by humidity. Warm, humid air contains a lot of moisture, which can
condense on cool nights. As temperatures decrease and items cool, dew is more likely to occur at night.
When a dew point is achieved, though, dew can occur.
 Frost
Under the above-mentioned conditions, when the dew point is below freezing, additional moisture
condenses in the form of very little ice crystals. It’s known as frost. The moisture in the air condenses
directly into a tiny ice crystal in this process. Standing crops such as potatoes, peas, lentils, grammes, and
others suffer greatly from this type of condensation. It also causes issues with the road transportation
system.
 Fog And Mist

Mist is formed when condensation occurs near the earth’s surface in the form of microscopic droplets of
water hanging and floating in the air. Visibility is greater than one kilometre but less than two kilometres
in the mist. Fog, on the other hand, occurs when visibility is decreased to less than one kilometre. Clear
skies, quiet weather, and cold winter nights are ideal for the creation of mist and fog.
 Smog
Smoke, dust, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and other pollutants have polluted and coloured the fog,
resulting in smog. Smog is a common occurrence in large cities and industrial areas. It affects the
respiratory system.
 Clouds
A cloud is a clump of minute water droplets or microscopic ice crystals created when water vapour
condenses in free air at high altitudes. The adiabatic cooling of air below its dew point is the primary
cause of clouds. Clouds take varied shapes as they form at a certain height above the earth’s surface.
Clouds are classified into four varieties based on their height, expanse, density, and transparency or
opaqueness: cirrus, cumulus, stratus, and nimbus are the four types of clouds.
Conclusion
Condensation is a physical process in which a gaseous substance transforms into a liquid as a result of
energy loss at the molecular level induced by heat loss or applied pressure. Condensation is crucial in the
water cycle because it causes clouds to form. Condensation is critical to our weather and climate since it
is responsible for the creation of clouds. We wouldn’t get to the third phase, precipitation, if there
weren’t clouds. Precipitation is the primary means by which water returns to the Earth’s surface in the
water cycle, and these clouds may be the source of it. The polar opposite of condensation is evaporation.
Dew, frost, fog, and clouds are all kinds of atmospheric water vapour or moisture that form after
condensation.

Condensation

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Condensation

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Definition of Condensation

What is the Basic Process of Condensation?

Non-Adiabatic Temperature Changes

Condensation: Water Cycle

 Fog And Mist

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