What causes water vapor to condense out of air?

What causes water vapor to condense out of air?

Condensation generally occurs in the atmosphere when warm air rises, cools and looses its capacity to hold water vapor. As a result, excess water vapor condenses to form cloud droplets.

What happens to water vapor to make it condense and become water droplets?

The water vapor molecules transfer energy to the colder air. This makes the water vapor molecules move more slowly. As this water vapor moves high into the air, the surrounding air cools it, causing it to condense and form clouds. The tiny droplets of water in clouds collect on bits of dust in the air.

What causes the water to condense high in the atmosphere?

Because air is cooler at higher altitude in the troposphere, water vapor cools as it rises high in the atmosphere and transforms into water droplets by a process called condensation.

How does water evaporate and condense?

When solid water is exposed to enough heat, it will melt and return to a liquid. As that liquid water is further heated, it evaporates and becomes a gas—water vapor. As water vapor rises higher in the atmosphere, it begins to cool back down. When it is cool enough, the water vapor condenses and returns to liquid water.

Why does water condense on a cold glass?

Condensation can also produce water droplets on the outside of soda cans or glasses of cold water. When warm air hits the cold surface, it reaches its dew point and condenses. This leaves droplets of water on the glass or can. When a pocket of air becomes full of water vapor, clouds form.

How does moisture occur in the atmosphere?

Moisture moves back and forth from Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and, once in the atmosphere, is transferred vertically and laterally by moving air. Atmospheric moisture is expressed as clouds, precipitation, storms, weather fronts, and other phenomena.

When water condenses in clouds to the precipitation as rain it changes state from?

Water changes between solid, liquid and gaseous states but does not leave the confines of Earth’s surface or atmosphere. Water changes through an endless cycle precipitation, evaporation and condensation. When water vapor condenses, it changes from a gas to a liquid.