PHYSIC OF EVAPORATION

Evaporation - is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of a liquid as it

changes into the gas phase. The surrounding gas must not be saturated with the

evaporating substance. When the molecules of the liquid collide, they transfer

energy to each other based on how they collide with each other. When a

molecule near the surface absorbs enough energy to overcome the vapor

pressure, it will escape and enter the surrounding air as a gas. When evaporation

occurs, the energy removed from the vaporized liquid will reduce the

temperature of the liquid, resulting in evaporative cooling

On average, only a fraction of the molecules in a liquid have enough heat

energy to escape from the liquid. The evaporation will continue until an

equilibrium is reached when the evaporation of the liquid is equal to its

condensation. In an enclosed environment, a liquid will evaporate until the

surrounding air is saturated.

Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle. The sun (solar energy) drives

evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, moisture in the soil, and other sources

of water. In hydrology, evaporation and transpiration (which involves

evaporation within plant stomata) are collectively termed evapotranspiration.

Evaporation of water occurs when the surface of the liquid is exposed, allowing

molecules to escape and form water vapor; this vapor can then rise up and

form clouds. With sufficient energy, the liquid will turn into vapor.
Factors that Affects Evaporation
Factors that affect evaporation include the concentration of the evaporating
substances in air, temperature, air pressure, the rate of airflow and surface area.
The heat of the sun facilitates the evaporation process, which is important in the
water cycle.

What is Evaporation?- Spontaneous escape of high energy molecules from

liquid surface into vapor state is called evaporation

 Temperature- The water molecules move rapidly when the water is

heated. This makes the molecules escape faster. Higher temperatures
lead to increase in vaporization as more molecules get kinetic energy to
convert into vapor.
 Surface Area of the Liquid exposed to the atmosphere-
The surface of a liquid is the interface between the liquid and (usually) the
air surrounding it. The surface area is the amount of that liquid that
is exposed to the air, or touching the air. And also that why the rate of
evaporation increases with increase in surface area of the liquid?
 Wind Speed-The speed at which air flows over the surface of
water affects the rate at which the water evaporates. As the wind blows, it
sweeps away airborne water particles that are in the air. The humidity of
the air in the region of this evaporation is reduced, which allows more
water molecules to dissipate into the air.
 Humidity-Humidity, or water vapor content of the air, also has
an effect on evaporation. The lower the relative humidity, the drier the air,
and the higher the evaporation rate. The more humid the air, the closer
the air is to saturation, and less evaporation can occur.
What is Evaporation and How it Occurs?

Before rainfall reaches the outlet of a basin as runoff, certain demands of the
catchment such as interception, depression storage and infiltration have to be
met. Besides these, evaporation and transpiration processes transfer water to
the atmosphere as water vapour.

Evaporation from water bodies and the soil mass together with transpiration
from vegetation is called evapotranspiration (ET). That portion of Precipitation
which is not available as surface runoff is termed as “loss”.

Evaporation

Evaporation is the process in which a liquid changes to the gaseous state

as the free surface, below its boiling point, through the transfer of energy.

Evaporation is a cooling process- the latent heat of vapourisation (~585

cal/g of evaporated water) must be provided by the water body.

Temperature – Rate of evaporation increases with an increase in water

temperature. Although there is an increase in the rate of evaporation with
increase in air temperature, a high correlation does not exist between. For
the same mean monthly temperature, evaporation from a lake may be
different in different months.

Wind – Wind helps to remove the evaporated water vapour from the zone
of evaporation, thereby creating greater scope for evaporation.

Surface Area – The rate of evaporation increases with an increase in

surface area.

Humidity – The amount of water vapour present in the air is called

humidity. The rate of Evaporation decrease with an increase in humidity.

Equipment to be used for measuring Evaporation

 Pan Evaporation- is a measurement that combines or integrates

the effects of several climate elements: temperature, humidity, rain

fall, drought dispersion, solar radiation, and wind.