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Gas vs. Vapor — What's the Difference?

By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 19, 2023
Gas is a state of matter with no fixed shape or volume, while vapor refers to the gaseous form of a substance that's typically a liquid or solid at room temperature. All vapors are gases, but not all gases are vapors.
Gas vs. Vapor — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Gas and Vapor

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Key Differences

When discussing states of matter, Gas and Vapor are terms that often arise. Both are gaseous in nature, but they originate from different conditions and contexts.
Gas is one of the fundamental states of matter, alongside solids and liquids. It has no definite shape or volume and expands to fill its container. Oxygen and nitrogen, which make up most of the Earth's atmosphere, are naturally in gas form at room temperature.
Vapor, on the other hand, specifically denotes the gaseous state of a substance that's ordinarily in liquid or solid form at ambient conditions. It arises when a substance undergoes evaporation or sublimation. For example, water turning to steam is a transition from liquid to vapor.
Essentially, while all vapors can be classified as gases, the reverse isn't true. Gas is a broad term encompassing all gaseous substances, whereas vapor is more specific, indicating a phase change from either a liquid or solid state.
Both gases and vapors play significant roles in various scientific and industrial contexts. They're pivotal in understanding concepts ranging from atmospheric conditions to the properties of various substances under varying temperature and pressure.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

A state of matter without definite shape or volume.
Gaseous form of a substance typically solid/liquid at room temperature.

Origin

Natural state for some substances.
Results from evaporation or sublimation.

Example

Oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere.
Water turning into steam.

Relationship

A broader term for all gaseous substances.
A subset of gases.

Temperature Dependence

Can exist as gas across a wide range of temperatures.
Exists as gas only above a certain temperature.

Compare with Definitions

Gas

A state of matter with no fixed shape or volume.
The helium Gas filled the balloon, causing it to rise.

Vapor

A visible mist or cloud of particles suspended in the air.
The morning Vapor rose gracefully from the lake.

Gas

A substance in a form that fills its container.
Natural Gas is used for heating and cooking in many homes.

Vapor

The gas phase of a substance undergoing evaporation.
The kettle released a steady stream of Vapor.

Gas

A combustible mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons.
The car needs more Gas to continue the journey.

Vapor

A mist of liquid particles generated by evaporation.
The Vapor from the hot shower fogged up the mirror.

Gas

Any substance that's gaseous at ambient temperature.
Neon Gas glows brightly in illuminated signs.

Vapor

In physics, a vapor (American English) or vapour (British English and Canadian English; see spelling differences) is a substance in the gas phase at a temperature lower than its critical temperature, which means that the vapor can be condensed to a liquid by increasing the pressure on it without reducing the temperature. A vapor is different from an aerosol.

Gas

A fluid substance with an ability to expand freely.
The toxic Gas spread rapidly, prompting an evacuation.

Vapor

The gaseous state of a substance that is liquid or solid at room temperature.

Gas

Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma).A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g.

Vapor

A faintly visible suspension of fine particles of matter in the air, as mist, fumes, or smoke.

Gas

A substance or matter in a state in which it will expand freely to fill the whole of a container, having no fixed shape (unlike a solid) and no fixed volume (unlike a liquid)
Hot balls of gas that become stars
Poisonous gases

Vapor

A mixture of fine droplets of a substance and air, as the fuel mixture of an internal-combustion engine.

Gas

Short for gasoline
We stopped for gas

Vapor

Something insubstantial, worthless, or fleeting.

Gas

An entertaining or amusing person or situation
The party would be a gas

Vapor

A fantastic or foolish idea.

Gas

Kill or harm by exposure to gas
My son was gassed at Verdun

Vapor

Exhalations within a bodily organ, especially the stomach, supposed to affect the mental or physical condition. Used with the.

Gas

Talk excessively about trivial matters
I thought you'd never stop gassing

Vapor

A nervous disorder such as depression or hysteria. Used with the.

Gas

Fill the tank of (a motor vehicle) with petrol
After gassing up the car, he went into the restaurant

Vapor

To fill or cover with vapor
Perfume vapored the room.

Gas

Very amusing or entertaining
Ruthie, that's gas—you're a gem

Vapor

To vaporize
“You wished you'd seen one of the monster shots that vapored an atoll way back when” (Don DeLillo).

Gas

The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by relatively low density and viscosity, relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature, the ability to diffuse readily, and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container.

Vapor

To give off vapor.

Gas

A substance in the gaseous state.

Vapor

To evaporate
The fog vapored away.

Gas

Any of various mixtures of flammable gases used for lighting, heating, or cooking.

Vapor

To engage in idle, boastful talk
Vapored on about his accomplishments.

Gas

Gasoline.

Vapor

Cloudy diffused matter such as mist, steam or fumes suspended in the air.

Gas

The speed control of a gasoline engine. Used with the
Step on the gas.

Vapor

The gaseous state of a substance that is normally a solid or liquid.

Gas

A gaseous asphyxiant, irritant, or poison.

Vapor

Something insubstantial, fleeting, or transitory; unreal fancy; vain imagination; idle talk; boasting.

Gas

A gaseous anesthetic, such as nitrous oxide.

Vapor

(dated) Any medicinal agent designed for administration in the form of inhaled vapour.

Gas

Flatulence.

Vapor

Hypochondria; melancholy; the blues; hysteria, or other nervous disorder.

Gas

Flatus.

Vapor

(obsolete) Wind; flatulence.

Gas

(Slang) Idle or boastful talk.

Vapor

(intransitive) To become vapor; to be emitted or circulated as vapor.

Gas

(Slang) Someone or something exceptionally exciting or entertaining
The party was a gas.

Vapor

(transitive) To turn into vapor.
To vapor away a heated fluid

Gas

To treat chemically with gas.

Vapor

To emit vapor or fumes.

Gas

To overcome, disable, or kill with poisonous fumes.

Vapor

(intransitive) To use insubstantial language; to boast or bluster.

Gas

To give off gas.

Vapor

(transitive) To give (someone) the vapors; to depress, to bore.

Gas

(Slang) To talk excessively.

Vapor

Any substance in the gaseous, or aëriform, state, the condition of which is ordinarily that of a liquid or solid.
Vapor is any substance in the gaseous condition at the maximum of density consistent with that condition. This is the strict and proper meaning of the word vapor.

Gas

Matter in an intermediate state between liquid and plasma that can be contained only if it is fully surrounded by a solid (or in a bubble of liquid, or held together by gravitational pull); it can condense into a liquid, or can (rarely) become a solid directly by deposition.
A lot of gas had escaped from the cylinder.

Vapor

In a loose and popular sense, any visible diffused substance floating in the atmosphere and impairing its transparency, as smoke, fog, etc.
The vapour which that fro the earth glood [glided].
Fire and hail; snow and vapors; stormy wind fulfilling his word.

Gas

(uncountable) A flammable gaseous hydrocarbon or hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel, e.g. for cooking, heating, electricity generation or as a fuel in internal combustion engines in vehicles, especially natural gas.
Gas-fired power stations have largely replaced coal-burning ones.

Vapor

Wind; flatulence.

Gas

Poison gas.
The artillery fired gas shells into the enemy trenches.

Vapor

Something unsubstantial, fleeting, or transitory; unreal fancy; vain imagination; idle talk; boasting.
For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

Gas

A chemical element or compound in such a state.
The atmosphere is made up of a number of different gases.

Vapor

An old name for hypochondria, or melancholy; the blues.

Gas

(countable) A hob on a gas cooker.
She turned the gas on, put the potatoes on, then lit the oven.

Vapor

A medicinal agent designed for administration in the form of inhaled vapor.

Gas

(uncountable) Methane or other waste gases trapped in one's belly as a result of the digestive process; flatus.
My tummy hurts so bad – I have gas.

Vapor

To pass off in fumes, or as a moist, floating substance, whether visible or invisible, to steam; to be exhaled; to evaporate.

Gas

(slang) A humorous or entertaining event or person.

Vapor

To emit vapor or fumes.
Running waters vapor not so much as standing waters.

Gas

(slang) Frothy or boastful talk; chatter.

Vapor

To talk idly; to boast or vaunt; to brag.
Poets used to vapor much after this manner.
We vapor and say, By this time Matthews has beaten them.

Gas

(baseball) A fastball.
The closer threw him nothing but gas.

Vapor

To send off in vapor, or as if in vapor; as, to vapor away a heated fluid.
He'd laugh to see one throw his heart away,Another, sighing, vapor forth his soul.

Gas

Arterial or venous blood gas.

Vapor

A visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance

Gas

Marijuana, typically of high quality.

Vapor

The process of becoming a vapor

Gas

, a light derivative of petroleum used as fuel.

Vapor

The gaseous form of a substance below its critical temperature.
Water boils and turns into Vapor at 100°C.

Gas

Ellipsis of gas pedal

Vapor

A substance diffused or suspended in the air.
The pleasant Vapor of the essential oils filled the room.

Gas

An internal virtual currency used in Ethereum to pay for certain operations, such as blockchain transactions.
Gas fee

Gas

(transitive) To attack or kill with poison gas.
The Nazis gassed millions of Jews during the Holocaust.
He never fully recovered after he was gassed on the Western Front.

Gas

To talk in a boastful or vapid way; chatter.

Gas

To impose upon by talking boastfully.

Gas

(intransitive) To emit gas.
The battery cell was gassing.

Gas

(transitive) To impregnate with gas.
To gas lime with chlorine in the manufacture of bleaching powder

Gas

(transitive) To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers.
To gas thread

Gas

(US) To give a vehicle more fuel in order to accelerate it.
The cops are coming. Gas it!

Gas

(US) To fill (a vehicle's fuel tank) with fuel.

Gas

(slang) comical, zany; fun, amusing.
Mary's new boyfriend is a gas man.
It was gas when the bird flew into the classroom.

Gas

An aëriform fluid; - a term used at first by chemists as synonymous with air, but since restricted to fluids supposed to be permanently elastic, as oxygen, hydrogen, etc., in distinction from vapors, as steam, which become liquid on a reduction of temperature. In present usage, since all of the supposed permanent gases have been liquified by cold and pressure, the term has resumed nearly its original signification, and is applied to any substance in the elastic or aëriform state.

Gas

A complex mixture of gases, of which the most important constituents are marsh gas, olefiant gas, and hydrogen, artificially produced by the destructive distillation of gas coal, or sometimes of peat, wood, oil, resin, etc. It gives a brilliant light when burned, and is the common gas used for illuminating purposes.

Gas

Same as gasoline; - a shortened form. Also, the accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term " step on the gas".

Gas

The accelerator pedal of a motor vehicle; used in the term " step on the gas".

Gas

Same as natural gas.

Gas

An exceptionally enjoyable event; a good time; as, The concert was a gas.

Gas

To singe, as in a gas flame, so as to remove loose fibers; as, to gas thread.

Gas

To impregnate with gas; as, to gas lime with chlorine in the manufacture of bleaching powder.

Gas

To expose to a poisonous or noxious gas

Gas

The state of matter distinguished from the solid and liquid states by: relatively low density and viscosity; relatively great expansion and contraction with changes in pressure and temperature; the ability to diffuse readily; and the spontaneous tendency to become distributed uniformly throughout any container

Gas

A fluid in the gaseous state having neither independent shape nor volume and being able to expand indefinitely

Gas

A volatile flammable mixture of hydrocarbons (hexane and heptane and octane etc.) derived from petroleum; used mainly as a fuel in internal-combustion engines

Gas

A state of excessive gas in the alimentary canal

Gas

A pedal that controls the throttle valve;
He stepped on the gas

Gas

A fossil fuel in the gaseous state; used for cooking and heating homes

Gas

Attack with gas; subject to gas fumes;
The despot gassed the rebellious tribes

Gas

Show off

Common Curiosities

Why do I see vapor when boiling water?

The vapor you see is water turning into its gaseous state due to the heat.

What causes a substance to turn into vapor?

Heating or reducing pressure can cause substances to evaporate or sublimate, turning into vapor.

Is steam a gas or vapor?

Steam is the vapor form of water, so it's a type of gas.

Are all vapors considered gases?

Yes, all vapors are in the gaseous state, but not all gases are vapors.

Is the air we breathe a gas or vapor?

The air is a mixture of gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, and trace amounts of other gases.

Do all liquids produce vapors?

Most liquids produce vapors when exposed to certain temperatures, but the rate of vapor production varies.

Are vapors always visible?

No, many vapors are invisible. Visibility depends on factors like temperature and particle size.

Can gases be turned into liquids?

Yes, gases can be turned into liquids under the right conditions of temperature and pressure.

Is fog a gas or vapor?

Fog consists of tiny liquid water droplets suspended in the air, so it's closer to a vapor.

Why do gas stoves use natural gas and not vapor?

Natural gas, primarily methane, is easily combustible and efficient for cooking. It's a gas, not a vapor derived from a liquid.

Can vapors be harmful?

Some vapors, like those from certain chemicals, can be harmful if inhaled.

What's the significance of the critical temperature in relation to vapor?

Above the critical temperature, a substance cannot be liquefied, regardless of the pressure. It remains a gas, not a vapor.

What's the difference between water vapor and moisture?

Water vapor is gaseous water in the air, while moisture refers to the presence of liquid water, often on surfaces.

Why are some substances naturally gases at room temperature?

It depends on the substance's molecular properties and the ambient temperature and pressure.

Is carbon dioxide a gas or vapor?

Carbon dioxide is a gas at room temperature and atmospheric pressure.

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Author Spotlight

Written by
Tayyaba Rehman
Tayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.

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