Factors affecting evaporation

1. Exposed surface area

1.1. If more surface area is exposed of the liquid, more water molecules are exposed to the surface, allowing for more water molecules to receive kinetic energy in order to evaporate.

2. Temperature

2.1. The hotter the air is, the more kinetic energy the surface of the liquid will absorb. This will help with the breaking of intermolecular bonds as well.

3. Motion of air around liquid

3.1. Wind: If there is more wind around the liquid that is undergoing evaporation, more variations of air will be present to absorb the new water molecules breaking away from the surface of the water. The added kinetic energy also helps in this process.

3.2. Example: When a person uses a hairdryer, more air is circulated around the room which allows more water molecules to be absorbed by the surrounding air. Also the kinetic energy of the air molecules exerting force on the water molecules in the hair helps the water molecules to break their intermolecular bonds.

4. Pressure

4.1. The more pressure there is in the surrounding air of a liquid, the harder it will be for the water molecules to break away from their intermolecular bonds to mix with the atmosphere.

4.2. More kinetic energy will be required to break the same intermolecular bonds than if the air pressure was less. As the air is exerting force on the surface of the liquid, many water molecules will not be able to evaporate.

5. Humidity

5.1. The humidity of the surrounding air shows how many water molecules are already present. The more water molecules already present in the air, the lesser the rate of evaporation.

5.2. Example: When clothes are hung to dry on a very humid day, the clothes are likely to dry slower than if hung to dry on a dry day with less humidity.