What is evaporation?
Definition of Evaporation?
Matter exists in three different states: solid, liquid, and gas. In the process of evaporation, matter in liquid form turns into gas form.
Scientists have proven that water bodies like oceans, seas, and lakes provide up to 90% of the moisture in the atmosphere via the process of evaporation. Evaporation is a very important part of the water cycle. As we know that in a cycle, every process is equally important, so we cannot compromise in any process. Heat from the Sun, it is possible to perform evaporation without Sun also, but when sun is present evaporation take place more quickly and efficiently. Sun observes moisture that is ‘water’ not only from the water bodies but also from soil. The water level in the water bodies decreases as the sun observes the water from it through solar energy. Now the water molecules that have been absorbed by the solar energy do not disappear into the atmosphere but it gets collected in the air, means they remains in the atmosphere. This affects the moisture present in the atmosphere. Areas with high temperatures and large water bodies are most likely to be humid as they have a high amount of moisture in their atmosphere. The evaporated water helps in the formation of clouds. Then clouds release the stored moisture in the form of rain or snow in the different areas as they move with the help of wind energy in the direction in which wind blows. The rain and snow that falls to the ground again gets evaporated as the same cycle starts all over again.
Some factors affect evaporation.
1) Temperature- An Increase in temperature means more evaporation while a decrease in temperature means a lower rate of evaporation.
2) Wind- With the increase in the speed of the wind, the water particals moves away quickly which decrease the amount of water vapours in the atmosphere in that certain area where more water molecules takes their place. So increase in wind speed is an increase in evaporation rate.
3) Humidity- The air can hold water up to a certain amount. When the amount of water in the atmosphere is high, then the rate of evaporation will automatically decrease; therefore decrease in humidity increases the rate of evaporation.
4) Surface area- An Increase in the surface area increases the rate of evaporation also. As the water with a large surface area gets more space to evaporate.
Example- Drying of clothes, rain, snow fall, etc
– Written By Aruja
