= Condensation
{wiki}
= Condense
{synonym}
Condensation is conversion of a <vapor> into a <liquid>. Cooling vapor-bearing air below its <dew point> is a familiar example: droplets form on a cold surface as the saturation <vapor pressure> falls. In a mixture, the relevant comparison uses the condensable component's <partial pressure>, rather than the mixture's total pressure alone.
Creating a new droplet costs interfacial <free energy>, while conversion to the stable liquid lowers bulk free energy. A <nucleation barrier> can therefore permit <supersaturated vapor> before droplets appear. A pre-existing surface can lower that barrier through <heterogeneous nucleation>. Condensation also releases <latent heat>, so a cold plate or condenser must remove heat as liquid accumulates. At <vapor-liquid equilibrium>, evaporation and condensation continue microscopically with equal average opposing rates.
Back to article page
