Condensation point (physics)

An FA-18 breaks the sound barrier, air humidity condenses.

The condensation temperature is the temperature from which a substance condenses at a given pressure, i.e. it changes from a gaseous to a liquid state of aggregation . The condensation temperature is substance-specific and also dependent on the pressure , whereby the pressure and temperature conditions are referred to together as the condensation point . These are the states of a pure substance in its phase diagram , more precisely the condensation curve or the phase boundary line between gas and liquid. In the case of pure substances, the condensation point is numerically identical to the boiling point , but forms a condensation area in mixtures of substances .

The condensation of water in air is of particular importance in meteorology. Here the dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated with water vapor. The dew point temperature of moist air corresponds to the condensation point of pure water vapor if the respective water vapor partial pressures match. The height at which condensation occurs is called the condensation level. This is where the cloud base is usually located.