How is the pressure of vapors released from solid or liquid in a closed container defined?

The pressure of vapors released from a solid or liquid in a closed container is defined as vapor pressure. This concept is fundamental in understanding how substances behave when they change states from solid or liquid to gas. Vapor pressure reflects the force exerted by the gas phase of a substance in equilibrium with its solid or liquid phase at a given temperature. It is influenced by factors such as temperature and the properties of the substance itself.

Vapor pressure is critical in various applications, including the safe handling of hazardous materials, as it helps determine how volatile a substance is and its potential risks during storage or transport. Knowing the vapor pressure allows responders to anticipate how a substance may behave under certain conditions, thereby enabling appropriate safety measures.

Other terms, such as liquid pressure, atmospheric pressure, and gas pressure, refer to different physical phenomena and do not accurately describe the pressure associated with vapors in a closed system. Liquid pressure pertains to the pressure exerted by liquids, atmospheric pressure is the pressure exerted by the weight of air in the atmosphere, and gas pressure generally refers to the pressure exerted by gases in open systems or beyond the context of vaporization from solids or liquids.