Question

Why gases condense when they are cooled?

Answer 1

The expansion of gases takes place because of kinetic energy provided by heat which excites the molecules and causes them to move further apart. On cooling the atoms in a gas lose their energy and slow down coming closer together.

Answer 2

We can explain this in a molecular level. We know that the difference between a gas and a liquid of the same composition is how fast their molecules are moving. So given a gas, their molecules are farther and faster when moving, but when they are cooled their bulk kinetic energy decreases. In other words their molecules start to move closer and move slower until it behaves more like a liquid molecule. This is the time when gases condense