Vapor Pressure

The vapor pressure of a liquid, at a designated temperature, is the absolute pressure

at which the liquid would boil if its pressure were lowered to that point. The
vapor pressure of water at 212F is 14.7 psia. That is why water boils away into
steam at 212F when the atmospheric pressure is 14.7 psia. High on a mountain
top water might boil at 200F. The vapor pressure of water at 200F is 11.5 psia,
and, therefore, the barometric pressure up on that mountain must have been 11.5
psia.
Vapor pressure can be very important in a flowmetering application if the liquid
enters the meter at a pressure near its vapor pressure. Any pressure reduction in
the meter could cause the liquid to flash partly to a gas. This can completely
destroy the performance of many types of flowmeters. If the gas pressure rises
above the vapor pressure, the gas bubbles will implode, causing cavitation to
occur. Cavitation can destroy many types of flowmeters.
A common problem arises when trying to measure steam condensate if it is not
subcooled or, if not, pumped to increase its pressure. Vapor pressure does not vary
in proportion to temperature. Instead, it typically changes only slightly at lower
temperatures and then increases much more drastically at relatively higher temperatures.

Boiling Point
The boiling point of a liquid is a property directly related to vapor pressure. It is
simply the temperature at which a liquid would boil at a designated pressure. Tabulations
of boiling point for various liquids at atmospheric pressure are commonly
published. They are of little help in flowmeter design because they apply only at
one pressure.