vapori

Vapori, in Italian, denotes vapors in English and refers to the gaseous phase of substances that are typically liquids or solids at room temperature. Vapori form when a substance transitions into the gas phase through evaporation (surface-to-gas), boiling (bulk liquid-to-gas), or sublimation (solid-to-gas). A vapor may exist in equilibrium with its liquid or solid at a given temperature, and the pressure it exerts in this state is called the vapor pressure.

Vapors are distinguished from permanent gases by their origin; however, in common usage the terms gas and vapor are often used interchangeably. In technical contexts, a vapor implies the gaseous form of a material that would be liquid or solid under standard conditions. The behavior of vapors follows gas-like laws, with properties such as volume, temperature, pressure, and partial vapor pressure in mixtures.

Key properties include volatility and vapor pressure, which increase with temperature and indicate how readily a substance forms a vapor. Highly volatile liquids produce substantial vapors at relatively low temperatures, while less volatile substances require heating. The concept of vapor pressure helps explain distillation, evaporation rates, and condensation.

Applications and relevance span multiple fields. In distillation and separation processes, vapors are condensed to separate components. In chemical vapor deposition, vapors react on a substrate to form thin coatings. In environmental science, vapor transport influences the dispersion of volatile pollutants. Safety considerations focus on inhalation hazards, proper ventilation, and exposure limits, since many vapors can affect health at low concentrations.

Examples of common vapors include water vapor, ethanol vapor, acetone vapor, and various hydrocarbon vapors.