kaasumaiset

Kaasumaiset is a Finnish adjective meaning gas-like or gaseous. It is used to describe substances, states of matter, or phenomena that exist in the gaseous phase or exhibit properties associated with gases. The base noun is kaasu (gas), and the suffix -mainen forms adjectives that express resemblance or characteristic qualities. The plural form kaasumaiset is used when modifying plural nouns, for example kaasumaiset aineet (gaseous substances) or kaasumaiset olomuodot (gaseous states).

In scientific usage, kaasumaiset describes matter that is in a gaseous state under given conditions of temperature and pressure. Common examples of kaasumaiset aineet include nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide at room temperature. The term emphasizes the phase rather than a strict taxonomic category, and many substances become gases only at certain conditions, such as elevated temperature or decreased pressure.

Kaasumaiset can also appear in non-technical or metaphorical contexts to convey diffuseness or intangibility, similar to other language uses of “gas-like.” In Finnish education and literature, the term often appears alongside other states of matter (solid, liquid) and related processes such as condensation, evaporation, and plasma.

Variants of the word include kaasumaisuus (the gaseous nature or property) and the related noun kaasu (gas). The concept of kaasumaiset is part of discussions on states of matter, thermodynamics, and physical chemistry.

See also: kaasu, olomuoto, tila, lämpötila, paine, tiivistyminen, höyry.