EVAPORATION

Evaporation is the process by which water is converted from its liquid form to its vapor form (sometime below the liquid's boiling point) and thus transferred from land and water masses to the atmosphere. Evaporation from the oceans accounts for 80% of the water delivered as precipitation, with the balance occurring on land, inland waters and plant surfaces. As shown in the accompanying interactive animation, the rate of evaporation depends upon: Wind speed: the higher the wind speed, the more evaporation Temperature: the higher the temperature, the more evaporation Humidity: the lower the humidity, the more evaporation Most evaporation occurs when high energy particles at the surface of a liquid gain enough kinetic energy to escape the body of liquid. This results in a cooling effect in the liquid as the overall kinetic energy (and therefore the temperature) decreases as the higher kinetic energy particles escape. [image:http://www.school-for-champions.com/science/images/matter_states_evaporation.gif]