Condensation

[Susie 2D]

I got into an argument with my friends in the car yesterday about this and felt it was relevant to this class and maybe someone could explain. What is a defroster in a car doing to remove condensation on the inside of a window? Why is the condensation on the inside in the first place? Would you be able to get rid of condensation if the defroster blew cool air onto the windshield instead of hot air?

[rynnma1L]

Hi! Condensation occurs when the outside temperature is colder than the inside temperature of the car. Think about when you bring a cold water bottle outside on a hot summer day, condensation occurs on the outside of the bottle because it is colder than the dew point of the outside environment, causing water to condense. Blowing cold air would be worse, since cold air doesn't hold as much moisture as hot air does, and as a bonus, the hot air can evaporate excess moisture on the windshield. Hope this helps!

[Destiny Caldwell 3J]

Condensation on the inside of a car window occurs when warm, moisture-laden air inside the car comes into contact with the cooler surface of the window, causing the water vapor in the air to condense into liquid water droplets. The defroster in a car works by blowing warm air onto the window, increasing the temperature of the window surface. This helps to raise the temperature of the window above the dew point, preventing condensation from forming. If the defroster were to blow cool air onto the windshield instead of hot air, it would not effectively prevent condensation because cooling the window surface would further decrease its temperature, potentially causing even more condensation to form. Therefore, blowing warm air is essential for raising the temperature of the window above the dew point and preventing condensation.