Name: Process of Sublimation
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 3 min 57 s
Description: Sublimation is converting a substance directly from the solid to the gaseous state of matter without passing through the liquid state. Watch this video.

Question

How can the evaporation of a liquid be made faster?

Accepted Answer

The following factors affect the rate of evaporation:

(i) Increase in the surface area: We know that evaporation is a surface phenomenon, that is, only the particles on the surface of the liquid get converted into vapours. If the surface area is increased, the rate of evaporation increases. That is, the greater the surface area, the more is the rate of evaporation. For example, we often spread wet clothes for drying them in the air. By doing so, the surface area available for evaporation of water increases and thus, the clothes get dried up soon.

(ii) Increase in temperature: You must have observed from your everyday experience that evaporation of water becomes fast when the atmospheric temperature is high. In other words, the evaporation of a liquid occurs at a faster rate in summer than in winter. This is because as the temperature increases, the kinetic energy of the particles of the liquid also increases. Thus, they can more easily overcome the force of attraction of their neighbouring particles on the surface of the liquid. Hence, the particles can more easily get converted into vapours. Thus, evaporation occurs at a faster rate.

(iii) Decrease in humidity: Humidity is the amount of water vapour present in the air. It may be noted that the surrounding air cannot hold a definite amount of water vapours at a given temperature. In case, the humidity of air is already high, that is, if the amount of water vapour in the air is already high, it can hold only a little more amount of water vapour to reach that optimum level. Thus, the rate of evaporation decreases.

It is due to this reason that clothes get dried slowly during the rainy season (when the humidity of air is high) than in dry weather (when the humidity is low).

(iv) Increase in the speed of the wind: It is a common observation that wet clothes dry faster on a windy day. With the increase in wind speed, the particles of water move away from the wind, thereby, decreasing the amount of water vapour in the surrounding. As a result of this, the rate of evaporation increases.

How can the evaporation of a liquid be made faster?

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