Evaporation is the process where high-energy molecules in a liquid break free from the surrounding molecules and become water vapor. Regardless of the temperature, liquid molecules move randomly at high speeds. Temperature reflects the average energy of all molecules, but some always have higher energy, allowing them to turn into water vapor. Even at very low temperatures, some high-energy molecules can gain enough kinetic energy to overcome surface tension and escape the liquid surface. E vaporation is the opposite of condensation, the process of water vapor turning into liquid water. The National Weather Service in the United States measures the rate of evaporation at different locations every year. Learn what evaporation is, how it occurs, and how it causes cooling. Find out the applications of evaporative cooling and the difference between evaporation and condensation. Evaporation is simply the process by which liquid turns into a gas. Water (a liquid) turns into vapor (a gas) when heat energy is applied to raise its temperature to 100°C (212°F). Water in the liquid state is a compound, and the heat breaks up the bonds into water molecules, which is gaseous. Diagram of water changing to vapor and rising upward. Water covers about 70% of the entire surface of the earth. It means that there is a massive surface area that helps with the absorption of the ...
