Steam is formed at 100°C but I see “steam” being produced at less than that temperature. What is that and why isn’t it steam?
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A tiny bit (called a molecule) of water can “escape” from a liquid, and turn into a gas when it has enough energy. Like having enough of a run-up to hop over a fence and escape your garden.
“Temperature” is the *average* energy of all the “bits” of water in… a cup, for example. So, even below 100 degrees, *some* molecules have enough energy to jump and fly away from the “fence”… *water’s surface* (this is called evaporation).
Sometimes, that gas immediately touches colder air, and cools down (loses energy) making it a liquid again, *buuut* as tiny droplets in the air, which you can see as white “steam”.
The difference at 100 degrees is that many bits of water have SO much energy, they can “jump” out of their garden from anywhere! They don’t even need to be near the “fence”!
Those super energetic bits of water escaping as gas from *within* the liquid are the bubbles you see during “boiling”.
If it’s hot enough *outside* the “garden”, the escaped water gas keeps enough energy to keep on “flying” and does not turn back into liquid droplets in the air… this kind of “steam” is invisible.
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