How does fog form on car windows?
4 Answers
Fog forms on car windows when the window temperature falls below the dew point, causing condensation to easily form on the window's surface. This results in the common fogging phenomenon observed on the windshield. If there is a temperature difference between the two sides of the window, the side with the lower temperature will have a higher saturation vapor pressure than the surrounding environment, causing water vapor to accumulate on the glass surface. This vapor then condenses into tiny water droplets, creating the fog we often see. Additionally, the dew point temperature is closely related to the fogging phenomenon. If the dew point is above 0 degrees Celsius, fogging occurs; if it is below 0 degrees Celsius, frost forms instead. To address this, you can first turn on the air conditioning and adjust the temperature control lever to a suitable setting. Using the defroster to evaporate the moisture can effectively remove frost. Alternatively, opening the car windows to lower the interior temperature or applying a professional anti-fog solution diluted with water at a 1:10 ratio to the glass can also help.
I totally understand the issue of window fogging. The root cause is water vapor condensation due to temperature differences. There's always invisible water vapor in the air. When you turn on the heater inside the car while the glass remains cold, or when you use AC in summer while it's hot and humid outside, the warm moist air immediately condenses into tiny water droplets upon contacting the cold glass. It's the same principle as water droplets forming on an ice-cold soda bottle taken from the fridge. More passengers mean heavier fogging because breathing and sweat continuously release moisture. Smoking or bringing wet shoes into the car on rainy days makes it worse - humidity spikes and the windows turn completely white within two minutes. The key solution is balancing temperature differences and humidity. Using AC defoggers actually works by blowing dry air to absorb the moisture.
You must have experienced the situation where the windshield turns into frosted glass when you first get in the car in winter. The main culprit is the hot breath meeting the icy glass. Every time a person breathes, they exhale water vapor at body temperature (37°C), which hits the zero-degree car window, much like how fog forms when you breathe on a refrigerator. Additionally, condensation is more likely when the temperature difference between the inside and outside of the car exceeds 15°C, so on a -20°C morning in Northeast China, turning on the heater immediately fogs up the windows. I remember once picking up friends for dinner—five people got in the car, chatting and laughing, and within three minutes, the exhaled moisture fogged up the windows so much that we couldn’t see the road. Rainy days are even worse; wet clothes and umbrellas can push the humidity inside the car above 90%, essentially creating artificial rain on the glass.
As a veteran driver with twenty years of experience, I'm all too familiar with the routine of foggy windows. In summer, when using the AC to defog, the cold air actually turns the glass into a condensation panel—humid outside air condenses upon contact, forming fog on the exterior. In winter, when you first turn on the heater, moisture from your breath condenses on the cold glass, creating fog on the inside. Rainy days demand extra attention to wet floor mats, as evaporating moisture can quickly coat the windows with a white haze. Newly tinted windows are especially prone to fogging due to adhesive fumes increasing humidity. To tackle it effectively, control three key factors: air humidity, glass temperature, and airflow speed.
