Water vapor

For the surrounding nature, water vapor is of great importance. It is present in the atmosphere, used in engineering, it is an integral part of the process of origin and development of life on Earth.

In the textbooks of physics it is said that water vapor is a gaseous state of water. Everyone can observe it, putting the kettle on fire. After a while, a jet of steam begins to escape from his spout. This phenomenon is caused by the fact that water can be in different, as defined by physics, aggregate states - gaseous, solid, liquid. Such properties of water and explain its comprehensive presence on Earth. On the surface - in the liquid and solid state, in the atmosphere - in the gaseous.

This property of water and its gradual transition to different states create a cycle of water in nature. The liquid evaporates from the surface, rises into the atmosphere, is transported to another place in the form of water vapor and there falls out in the form of rain, providing the necessary moisture with new places.

As a matter of fact, a kind of steam engine works, the source of energy for which is the Sun. In these processes, water vapor additionally heats the planet by reflecting the Earth's heat radiation back to the surface, causing a greenhouse effect. If there was not such a peculiar "pillow", then the temperature on the surface of the planet would be 20 ° C lower.

As a confirmation of the above, you can recall the sunny days in winter and summer. In the warm season, humidity is high, and the atmosphere, like in a hotbed, warms the Earth, in winter, in sunny weather, there are sometimes the most significant cold.

Like all gases, water vapor has certain properties. One of the parameters determining such is the density of water vapor. By definition, this is the amount of water vapor contained in one cubic meter of air. In fact, this determines the absolute humidity of the latter.

The amount of water in the air is constantly changing. It depends on temperature, pressure, terrain. The moisture content in the atmosphere is an extremely important parameter for life, and it is constantly monitored by the use of special instruments - a hygrometer and a psychrometer.

The change in humidity is caused by the fact that the water content in the surrounding space changes due to the processes of evaporation and condensation. Condensation is a phenomenon opposite to evaporation, in this case the vapor begins to turn into a liquid, and it falls to the surface.

Depending on the ambient temperature, fog, dew, frost, ice may form.

When warm air, saturated with water vapor , touches the cold earth, dew forms. In winter, at low temperatures, frost will form.

A slightly different effect occurs when the cold comes in, or the air heated in the day starts to cool. In this case, a fog is formed.

If the temperature of the surface on which the vapor condenses is negative, then ice appears.

Thus, numerous natural phenomena, such as fog, dew, frost, ice, due to their formation of water vapor contained in the atmosphere.

In this regard, it is worth mentioning the formation of clouds, which also directly participate in the formation of the weather. Water, evaporating from the surface and turning into water vapor, rises. When the altitude is reached, where condensation begins, it turns into a liquid, and clouds form. They can be of several types, but in the light of the question under consideration it is important that they participate in creating a greenhouse effect and transferring moisture to new places.

The above material shows what water vapor is, describes its influence on life processes occurring on the Earth.