What is the difference between steam from boiling water and mist/water vapor from a mister?

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Like the misters at theme parks and such.

In: Chemistry

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

*Steam* is water vapor. You cannot see steam. However, if steam cools down enough it will form liquid water droplets again. A mist.

So if you boil water, the steam will rise and mix with air, where it then cools down and forms a mist.

This mist is no different from any other mist, except it’s still pretty hot and surrounded by more (also hot) water vapor.

Anonymous 0 Comments

As someone else commented, steam from boiling water is water vapor. Steam is invisible until it comes off enough to condense, at which point it’s basically mist.

Mist from a mister is just water droplets in the air. Beware that mist will cool you off, but steam will burn you terribly, as the water vapor loses lots of energy when it condenses, and it loses it into your skin if it’s touching you.