Condensation

Posted on Saturday, June 2, 2007. Photo by ?. Tags: [Misc]

Straight plagiarism: What is condensation? Condensation is the formation of liquid drops from water vapor. It is the process which creates clouds, and so is necessary for rain and snow formation as well. Condensation usually occurs when a parcel of rising air expands and cools. If it cools enough, some of the water vapor molecules clump together faster than they are torn apart from their thermal energy. A very important part of this process is the release of the latent heat of condensation. This is the heat that was absorbed when the water was originally evaporated from the surface of the Earth. The heat removed from the surface through evaporation is released again up in the atmosphere when clouds form. This process keeps the Earth's climate cooler that it would otherwise be if there were no water. Another way in which condensation occurs is during the formation of dew.