saturoitumislämpötilaa

Saturoitumislämpötilaa, known in English as saturation temperature, refers to the temperature at which a substance can exist in equilibrium between two phases, typically liquid and gas, at a given pressure. At this specific temperature, the substance will simultaneously boil and condense.

When a liquid is heated at a constant pressure, its temperature rises until it reaches its saturation temperature. At this point, further heat input does not increase the temperature but instead causes a phase change from liquid to vapor. This heat is known as the latent heat of vaporization. Conversely, if vapor is cooled at constant pressure, it will reach its saturation temperature and begin to condense into liquid, releasing the latent heat of condensation.

The saturation temperature is not a fixed value for a substance; it is dependent on the ambient pressure. For instance, water boils at 100 degrees Celsius at standard atmospheric pressure (1 atmosphere or 101.325 kPa). However, at higher pressures, the saturation temperature of water increases, and at lower pressures, it decreases. This relationship is fundamental in thermodynamics and is crucial for understanding processes like boiling, condensation, and refrigeration cycles. The saturation curve on a pressure-temperature (P-T) diagram visually represents the saturation temperatures for a substance at various pressures.