Question

What are the factors that favour evaporation?

Answer 1

Evaporation:

• Evaporation is the change of a liquid into a vapour at a temperature below the boiling point.
• It is slow and reversible change.

Factors that favour evaporation are:

1. Large surface area: The area of the exposed surface determine the rate of evaporation. A Larger surface area increases the rate of evaporation.
2. Wind: Evaporation depends on the wind speed. Wind increases the rate of evaporation. For example, when you dry hair in front of a table fan, hair dries faster.
3. Temperature: Higher the temperature means more energy is available to the water molecule for converting from the liquid to the gaseous state. For example, wet clothes dry faster in summer.
4. Low Humidity: Humidity is the moisture-holding capacity of air at a given temperature. Dried air evaporates more water than humid air. For example, in the rainy season, wet clothes do not dry easily.
5. Low Pressure: Pressure exerted by the atmosphere on the surface also affect the rate of evaporation. Lower pressure on the open surface of the liquid results in the higher rate of evaporation.