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Re: Vapor?

On Thu, 16 May 2002, Tina Fanetti wrote:

See, I always thought vapor and gas were different.
I thought that a vapor was kinda liquidy and you could see it, like s=
team in a bathroom. Also that it had an odor to it.

The word "vapor" has more than one definition, and the definitions
contradict each other.

Fortunately the two definitions of "gas" are easy to separate: air is not
gasoline!

If we define the wrd "vapor" to mean "a cloud of suspended droplets", then
a vapor has nothing to do with a gas. And by this definition, clouds are
water vapor. So is fog and mist. "Vapor" is easy to see.

On the other hand, if we define the word "vapor" to mean "a gas where the
temperature is below the boiling point," then vapor is gas. ANd by this
definition, clouds are NOT water vapor. Water vapor is as invisible as
any gas. ANd clouds/steam/fog are liquid, they are not vapor.

Perhaps you should say that "vapor" is a very dangerous word, because it
has an everyday meaning, but it also has a scientific meaning which is
very different.

If kids can't write down the two different definitions, then they don't
know what a vapor is, and they should be learning, not pretending that
they already know.


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