Vaporsaturated

Vaporsaturated is a term used in thermodynamics, meteorology, and related fields to describe a state in which a gas mixture contains the maximum amount of a given vapor at a specified temperature. In common usage, the term refers to water vapor in air, though it can apply to other condensable vapors as well.

In a vaporsaturated system, the partial pressure of the vapor equals its saturation vapor pressure at the surrounding temperature. At this point, the air can no longer hold additional vapor without condensation occurring, and any cooling or compression can trigger phase change. Conversely, if the vapor partial pressure is below the saturation pressure, the mixture is unsaturated.

Relative humidity is a practical measure of vapor saturation in air. When relative humidity reaches 100 percent, the air is vaporsaturated with respect to water at that temperature. The dew point is the temperature at which cooling the air causes condensation to begin, indicating the onset of saturation.

Vapor saturation concepts are important in HVAC design, meteorology, drying processes, and industrial deposition techniques. They are used to predict condensation, dew formation, and the limits of evaporation for liquids in open or controlled environments.