The act and consequence of vaporizing is called vaporization.
Vaporization is the act and consequence of vaporizing . This verb , for its part, can refer to transforming a fluid into vapor using heat or to spreading a fluid into small droplets.
Vaporization, therefore, can be the change of state from a liquid to a gas. This process can be carried out in two ways: when the transition from liquid to gaseous occurs in the entire mass of the substance, it is called boiling . Boiling point is called, in this context, the temperature that causes a liquid, at a certain pressure , to boil and begin to go through the aforementioned change of state; If the latter only takes place on the surface of the liquid , the phenomenon is known as evaporation .
Enthalpy of vaporization
The enthalpy of vaporization , on the other hand, is the energy needed for a unit mass of a liquid substance, which is at atmospheric pressure and in equilibrium with its vapor, to completely transform into a gas.
For its part, the term enthalpy is defined as a thermodynamic magnitude whose variation serves to express a measure of the amount that a thermodynamic system has given up or absorbed energy; in other words, the exchange of energy it maintains with its environment. Enthalpy is symbolized by H.
There is also the concept of heat of vaporization , which represents the amount of energy necessary to convert 1 gram of liquid to gas at the boiling point of the given substance. This is a value that must break the intermolecular attractive forces and provide enough energy for the gas to expand.
When we are faced with an ideal gas , after the heat of vaporization, there should be no potential energy associated with these forces. In other words, the internal energy must be molecular kinetic, largely translational, but also rotational and vibrational.
There are different types of vaporization.
Volume change
One of the most notable points of water vaporization is the great alteration that its volume suffers when it changes phase. Let's see this in an example: if we take one mole of water (18 grams) and convert it into gas, we will obtain a volume of 22.4 liters; If, however, we took it to 100 ºC, instead of 0 ºC, and transformed it into steam, its volume would be 30.6 liters.
If we compare the volume of evaporated water with that present in its liquid state, we notice an increase of 1,700 percent , that is, it takes up 1,700 times more than before. This phenomenon is of great importance for fire departments, for example, since in certain cases it can cause explosions.
Vaporization for medicinal purposes
When vapors are used for medicinal purposes , vaporization is also referred to. A person who goes to a hot spring area to breathe the steam is resorting to vaporization.
Let's take the case of a subject who has a cold and who, due to this disorder, has difficulty breathing since he suffers from nasal congestion . With the intention of freeing your nasal passages, you can heat water in a pot to a boil and inhale the steam . This vaporization will help improve breathing.
This technique can be very beneficial for our health , but also for taking care of our physical appearance. Vaporization is used in beauty treatments to improve the skin of the entire body by cleansing certain external factors and preventing certain infections. When breathing water vapor, the respiratory mucosa softens; At the same time, the parts of the skin that come into contact with the steam relax, their pores open and facilitate the elimination of waste.