• jdr@lemmy.ml
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    18 hours ago

    Steam (i.e. the gas form of water) comes from boiling water and is mostly invisible, the clouds of vapour you see in the shower aren’t “steam”. I know people say that anyway, it’s not the worst thing ever, but some people might be interested to learn there’s a difference.

    • HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca
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      17 hours ago

      OK fair and I learned something today. But I think you’ll even admit that’s exceptionally pedantic…

      • jdr@lemmy.ml
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        16 hours ago

        Exceptionally pedantic in general perhaps, but for me the pedantry was unexceptional.

        • HumanOnEarth@lemmy.ca
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          11 hours ago

          Hey everyone!! We got Mr. Big Brain over here. He’s positively bored with our stupidity!

          • jdr@lemmy.ml
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            10 hours ago

            Oh Jesus.

            Where?

            I hope he hasn’t read my posts, he’ll judge me negatively and then I’ll feel bad!

    • 0ops@piefed.zip
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      18 hours ago

      Temperature is an average. On average the water molecules won’t be at boiling temp, but occasionally some of them will be and they will evaporate, and the hotter the water is, the closer that average is to the boiling point, the more it’ll happen. Earth’s entire water cycle hinges on the fact that water doesn’t need to be boiling to evaporate.

      • jdr@lemmy.ml
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        16 hours ago

        You’re totally right, I don’t think we’re disagreeing. Water evaporates at room temperature (and pressure) but it’s not the same thing as steam. Water vapour is a mixture of tiny liquid droplets with air, steam (in the sense I’m using the word) is a gas form of water and only forms above 100°C (at standard pressure, a few degrees lower if you’re e.g. up a mountain).