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Difficulty: EasyAtmosphere and Weather

As warm, humid air rises and expands in the lower atmosphere, it cools until gaseous water vapor transforms into tiny suspended liquid water droplets, resulting in cloud formation. What meteorological process describes this phase change from gas to liquid?

  1. A
    Evaporation
  2. B
    Transpiration
  3. CondensationAnswer
  4. D
    Precipitation

Answer

Condensation is the physical phase change responsible for turning gaseous water vapor into liquid water droplets to form clouds.
Condensation is the thermodynamic process where water vapor cools and transitions from a gaseous state to a liquid state, forming cloud droplets around microscopic aerosols (condensation nuclei).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the initial and final states of matter described in the scenario.
The water starts as a gas (water vapor) and cools to become a liquid (tiny droplets).
Determining the direction of the phase change narrows down the applicable thermodynamic process.
2
Match the transition from gas to liquid with standard meteorological terminology.
Gas to liquid transition is defined as condensation.
Cloud formation occurs when air cools below its dew point, forcing water vapor to condense onto microscopic particles.

Key Concept

Atmospheric Phase Changes and Cloud Formation
Estimated Time:40s
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Topics

Atmosphere and Weather

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