Is condensation – like water droplets on the outside of a cold glass – a form of convection heat transfer?
Condensation occurs when air reaches its dew point temperature. At which time, the air close in to the cold glass can no longer hold the water in suspension so the moisture clumps together (condenses) on the glass surface. This is not a phase shift from steam to liquid; so there is no heat of evaporation released during the condensation. This is simply very fine drops of water suspended in the air until the dew point is reached and the air can no longer hold it in suspension. This is very much like air rising into the upper atmosphere where it cools and forms clouds, which are the condensates. So there is no heat transfer except from the immediate surrounding air to and through the surface of the glass. And that heat transfer needs no air currents (convection); in fact, still air is more conducive to condensation, which is why dew generally forms best when the air is still. So we are pretty much left to conductive heat transfer in that the hotter air is in physical contact with the col
