Factors Affecting Evaporation

1. Liquids with a lower boiling point evaporate faster

2. Rate of evaporation is faster with moving air present

3. Example: Mercury hardly evaporates at room temperature as it has a boiling point of 357 degrees Celsius.

4. Rate of evaporation decreases with increasing humidity and increases with lower humidity.

5. The larger the exposed surface area, the more molecules can escape from the liquid

6. Evaporation only takes place at the exposed surface area of a liquid

7. The rate of evaporation increases when there is more exposed surface area

8. Temperature

8.1. Evaporation can occur at any temperature

8.2. Increase in temperature = increase in rate of evaporation

8.3. Warmer liquid

8.3.1. Greater number of molecules at the surface layer are energetic enough to escape

9. Area of Exposed Area

10. Humidity Of Surrounding Air

10.1. Example: Wet clothes do not dry easily when air is damp and skin feels dry in air-conditioned room.

11. Motion Of Air

11.1. Example: Drying your hair with a hair dryer, The moving air from the hair dryer removes the molecules of liquids as soon as they escape from the surface of your hair.

11.2. You cool faster in moving air than still air

12. Nature Of Liquid