What weather conditions cause condensation? Or what causes condensation?

Question

I want to understand this process. Is it when the humidity percentage meets the dewpoint percentage that condensation occurs? Or am I way off base?

Answer 1

Condensation, like dew, is caused when the ground is cooler than the air and there is enough water vapor in the air to condense on things. It's the same when you have a cold glass of something and it's warm outside, the glass gets wet on the outside from condensation - moisture being pulled out of the air and onto the cooler glass. The cold makes the molecules of the air near the cooler item slow down and it can't hold the weighter water molecules up any more.

Note that a cup of something warmer doesn't get condensation on it because the warmth keeps the air molecules excited enough to hold the moisture. And in some cases, it can warm the air around it up and put moisture into the air - which is why hot water on the stove will eventually evaporate.

Answer 2

You are dead on right.

When the temperature increases water can evaporate and turn into a vapor. The water vapor collects around dirt particles which end up forming clouds.

When the water vapor contacts colder temperatures it can no longer stay a gas, but must return to its liquid state; forming condensation. That's why when you house is warm you can have water vapor condense on the inside of the glass on a cold day. The warmer house can hold more water vapor than the colder out doors so as the temperature drops it condenses.

Condensation in the atmosphere forces the water drops to come down as rain. If it is cold enough then along the way down that water can refreeze creating hail, sleet or snow. A thundercloud is a large complex weather system where the water vapor can be tossed up high into the sky where it can freeze and then quickly fall as snow, sleet or hail.

The humidity is the measurement of how much water vapor is in the atmosphere. Often the method to calculate it is to use a wet bulb thermometer; the temperature is measured with a dry thermometer and a thermometer in a small wet sock around the bulb. The difference in the temperature can be looked up on a scale to determine the humidity.

The dew point is the point at which condensation starts. So the dew point is very important in calculating if it is going to rain or not. As the temperature drops below the dew point it will rain, but if the temperature is below the dew point the clouds cannot pick up any new water vapor.

The term dew point came from the morning dew. As the sun rises it forces the air to move; wind, so the coldest part of the day is just before dawn. As the sun rises it is pushing that cold air away from it and warming the ground beneath it. When the cold wind hits then dew can form on plants and other solids; when the sun rises higher in the sky that water is evaporated so the dew disappears soon after it forms.

Answer 3

The process of change of state from vapour to liquid is called codensation.This happens in the atmosphere,when water vapour present in the air condenses into water droplets resulting in the formation of clouds.
Condensation in the atmosphere takes place when air temperature reaches dew point temperature.Air can not hold the moisture below the dew point temperature.So the water vapour condenses.
When warm air rises,it cools and reaches dew point temperature leading to condensation of water vapour into water droplets in the presence of what is called condensation nuclei(dust particles,particles of salt,droplets of sulphuric acid,smoke etc which are required for condensation to occur).These tiny water droplets combine together to form clouds.

Answer 4

I think you will get the answer to all your questions here.

http://www.answers.com/condensation?cat=health&gwp=11&method=3&ver=2.1.1.521

Answer 5

it's when the water that has been evaporated into a cloud, it turns into small tiny particles of water and falls.

Answer 6

thats a good queston i learned science last week in my class i think i know but im not sure