Before proceeding to know the meaning of the term condensation, it is necessary to proceed to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from "condensatio – condensationis." This, in turn, comes from the verb "condensare", which means "to compact" and which is the result of the sum of three clearly differentiated elements:
-The prefix «con-«, which can be translated as «together».
-The root "densere", which means "to make dense."
-The suffix «-tio», which is used to indicate «action and effect».
The term refers to the act and result of condensing or condensing .
This verb (condense), for its part, can refer to transforming a vapor into a solid or liquid . The notion also mentions a reduction in volume, an increase in consistency or thickness or a synthesis.
The most frequent use of the idea of condensation is linked to a change in the state of matter: specifically, to the process that takes a matter from the gaseous state to the liquid state . If the transformation is the other way around (from liquid to gaseous), it is called vaporization . Regarding the transition from the gaseous state to the solid, the Royal Spanish Academy ( RAE ) mentions it as condensation, although it is also called deposition or reverse sublimation .
Condensation depends on temperature and pressure , among other variables. Dew formation is an example of condensation that develops naturally. Dew is a phenomenon that appears when environmental humidity condenses and turns into droplets.
The air, when it is subjected to a very low temperature in the early morning hours or when it comes into contact with a very cold surface, experiences condensation and thus appears as droplets. That's why, at certain times of the year, we can find the window panes or the roof of a car covered in drops even though it hasn't rained: it's dew .
In many homes, what is known as condensation humidity also occurs. It occurs when water vapor in the air transforms into liquid upon contact with a cold surface. Thus, this phenomenon can occur, for example, because the temperature inside the home is higher than that outside. This situation gives rise to the so-called humidity that usually appears, mainly, on walls, ceilings, windows...
Humidity, which are black spots that not only convey a visually unpleasant sensation but can also have a strong odor. This problem may appear because the home is not adequately ventilated, among other things.
In order to prevent these stains from appearing, different basic measures are established, such as ventilating the bathroom after the shower, covering the pots when cooking, turning the heating on to what is only room temperature...
The concept of condensation is also used in other contexts. In chemistry , a condensation reaction occurs when two molecules establish a combination to form a product, a process that also involves the development of a water molecule. For psychoanalysis , condensation is an unconscious procedure that leads to the formation of a single representation that includes different associative chains.