when a molecule of water vapro in the air come into contact with a cold can of soft drink, they lose energy, slow down, and form a liquid due to a decrease in what?
kinetic energy
When a molecule of water vapor comes into contact with a cold can of soft drink, it loses energy, slows down, and forms a liquid due to a decrease in temperature.
To understand this phenomenon, we need to consider the concept of thermal energy. Thermal energy is the energy associated with the random movement of particles in a substance. When the temperature of a substance decreases, the average kinetic energy of its particles decreases as well.
In this case, the cold surface of the can of soft drink acts as a heat sink, meaning it absorbs thermal energy from the water vapor molecules. As a result, the temperature of the water vapor decreases.
When the temperature drops below the dew point, which is the temperature at which the water vapor in the air becomes saturated, the excess energy in the water vapor molecules is released. This causes them to slow down and come together, forming liquid water droplets.
So, the decrease in temperature is what causes the water vapor molecules to lose energy, slow down, and form a liquid when they come into contact with a cold can of soft drink.