What is the difference between vapour and steam? These two terms seemingly are similar but have different meanings. trying to define these two gets us a similar definition which is not actually true
I tried to think over it but could not.
[Physics] the difference between vapour and steam
definitionphase-transitionterminologythermodynamicswater
Best Answer
Depends on which meaning of steam you use; and what you're talking about with vapour.
In general, a vapour refers to the gas phase of a substance below critical temperature. This means that if pressure changes, the gas can become a liquid without a required temperature change. This can apply to any substance.
Steam in general refers to the gas phase of water. Steam can be the same as water vapour in some contexts. In more casual usage, steam can refer to the mixture of vapour and aerosol liquid water droplets suspended in the vapour. The "steam" you see rising off boiling water for example, is the second type. What you see is actually condensed liquid water; as water vapour itself is not visible to the naked eye.