If water has to be 212 degrees to become steam, how are clouds made?

Question

I mean, the ocean does not reach 212! Where the heck do the clouds come from? How does the water evaporate at such low temperatures?

Answer 1

Gaaaah!

1. Water vapor is the same thing as steam. Both are the gaseous form of water.

2. Water vapor is not visible. It's colorless, like the other major components of the atmosphere.

3. Clouds are not made of "steam" or water vapor; they are composed of either small droplets of liquid water, or small crystals of solid ice, depending on the temperature of the cloud.

4. The "steam" you see coming off a pot of boiling water is not "steam" in the scientific meaning of this word. See point #1 above. The "steam" coming off a pot of boiling water is actually small droplets of liquid water that have condensed when the water vapor coming from the pot has cooled sufficiently to condense. It's really the same as a cloud.

5. Liquid water will evaporate, and ice will sublimate (transform from the solid to the gaseous state) whenever the partial pressure of water vapor in the air is less than the vapor pressure of the liquid or solid water. It does *not* have to be hotter than the boiling point for water to evaporate.

6. The vapor pressure of water (either solid or liquid) is a function of temperature. The vapor pressure is higher at higher temperatures. Hotter air can "hold" more water vapor than can colder air. This means that when hot air cools, it may not be able to hold as much water in vapor form, and the "extra" water will condense as liquid (or solid, if it's cold enough). This is what forms clouds, fog, or the "clouds" your (relatively warm and "wet") breath forms on a cold day.

Answer 2

Evaporation isn't the same as boiling. Water even evaporates indoors. Leave a cup on the counter for a few days and you will notice the water level drop. If I remember my chemistry right, substances always go from a higher concentration to a lower concentration. Of course the concentration of water in the cup or ocean is much higher than in air so small amounts on the surface turn into vapor, not steam. The lower the air humidity, the faster the evaporation. Fog is like a cloud on the ground and certainly isn't hot like steam either. Sometimes you can actually see water vapor rising off a lake, river or pool when it is happening fast enough. This happens when the water temperature is higher than the air temp but it can still be close to freezing.

Answer 3

I just wanted to add that water needs 212F to become steam... but does not require that much temperature to evaporate.

Evaporation is the process where a liquid, in this case water changes from a liquid to a gaseous state. It is a misconception that at 1 atm, water vapor only exists at 100 °C. Water molecules are in a constant state of evaporation and condensation flux near the surface of liquid water. If a surface molecule receives enough energy, it will leave the liquid and turn into vapour pending an allowable vapor pressure. Under a pressure of 1 atm, water will boil at 100 °C.

Answer 4

Water will evaporate slowly into the air. Now you've made me wonder why there's a boiling temperature. Perhaps it's the temperature when it starts bubbling.

Interestingly, the exact boiling temperature of water changes depending on it's altitude. Higher up you are the lower it is, but slightly.

Answer 5

u r on the wrong way
water has to reach 212f to become steam is right
but this steam is not watchable.
have seen the steam???
if your answert is no go and heat the water on the stove u will see some amount of steam
this stem is the water that has temperature below 100c
u can say this steam as wet steam
i think that u will understand now

Answer 6

After all these best ansewrs I'd like to say that an importantfactor must be taken in consideration. It is the latent heat of vaporization. One gram of water requires an amount of energy that is equal to 580 cal. Once it gets this amount from surrounding, even from air, it evaporites.

Answer 7

Water vapor rises and condenses, "sticking" to atoms of dust in the atmosphere.... that's what makes clouds. It's not like the water has to boil to rise into the atmosphere.

Answer 8

It is the large amount of water vaopr that are heavy enough to be seen, there for clouds form. but there are kept that way due to all of the electrons boucning around in them, Ergo Lighting also that comes from them...

Answer 9

Clouds are water vapor not steam.

Answer 10

who said that? its the boiling point. 212 F not C