7-405: A vapor is a substance in the gas phase below its critical temperature. Vapor , vapors , vapour or vapours may also refer to: Vapor In physics, a vapor ( American English ) or vapour ( Commonwealth English ; see spelling differences ) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature , which means that the vapor can be condensed to
14-494: A liquid by increasing the pressure on it without reducing the temperature of the vapor. A vapor is different from an aerosol . An aerosol is a suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both within a gas. For example, water has a critical temperature of 647 K (374 °C; 705 °F), which is the highest temperature at which liquid water can exist at any pressure. In the atmosphere at ordinary temperatures gaseous water (known as water vapor ) will condense into
21-405: A liquid if its partial pressure is increased sufficiently. A vapor may co-exist with a liquid (or a solid). When this is true, the two phases will be in equilibrium, and the gas-partial pressure will be equal to the equilibrium vapor pressure of the liquid (or solid). Vapor refers to a gas phase at a temperature where the same substance can also exist in the liquid or solid state, below
28-403: A vapor possess vibrational, rotational, and translational motion. These motions are considered in the kinetic theory of gases . The vapor pressure is the equilibrium pressure from a liquid or a solid at a specific temperature. The equilibrium vapor pressure of a liquid or solid is not affected by the amount of contact with the liquid or solid interface. The normal boiling point of a liquid
35-401: Is the temperature at which the vapor pressure is equal to normal atmospheric pressure . For two-phase systems (e.g., two liquid phases), the vapor pressure of the individual phases are equal. In the absence of stronger inter-species attractions between like-like or like-unlike molecules, the vapor pressure follows Raoult's law , which states that the partial pressure of each component is
42-407: The critical temperature of the substance. (For example, water has a critical temperature of 374 °C (647 K), which is the highest temperature at which liquid water can exist.) If the vapor is in contact with a liquid or solid phase, the two phases will be in a state of equilibrium . The term gas refers to a compressible fluid phase. Fixed gases are gases for which no liquid or solid can form at
49-413: The temperature of the gas, such as air at typical ambient temperatures. A liquid or solid does not have to boil to release a vapor. Vapor is responsible for the familiar processes of cloud formation and condensation . It is commonly employed to carry out the physical processes of distillation and headspace extraction from a liquid sample prior to gas chromatography . The constituent molecules of
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