Difference Between Evaporation And Condensation: Evaporation and Condensation play an important role in science. the theory of these is first given by Antoine Lavoisier, (a French physicist and chemist) in the late 18th century in the form of the caloric theory.
Difference Between Evaporation and Condensation
Evaporation |
Condensation |
| 1) It is a process by which liquid changes into gas or vapor. | 1) It is a process by which gas or vapor changes into liquid. |
| 2) Evaporation is an endothermic process, which means that it requires energy in the form of heat to occur. | 2) Condensation is an exothermic process, exothermic are processes that release energy in the form of heat. |
| 3) Evaporation begins from the surface of the liquid when temperature increases. | 3) It happens in a gas or vapor in which its temperature decreases. |
| 4) During evaporation, the molecules in a liquid gain energy by heat and move more rapidly, causing them to escape the surface of the liquid and enter the surrounding air as a gas. | 4) During condensation, the molecules in a gas lose energy and move more slowly, causing them to come together and form a liquid. |
| 5) Examples of evaporation include drying clothes, boiling water, sweating, etc. | 5) Examples of condensation include fog, dew, and cloud formation, etc. |
What is Evaporation?
It is the scientific phenomenon by which liquid can be converted to vapor or its gaseous form the word it can be known from the word “vapor” used in evaporation. It occurs when the temperature increases, which increases their kinetic energy or we can say more movement of molecules by which they overcome the intermolecular forces of attraction and form liquid. It occurs in liquids only because the intermolecular forces between solids are very high so the molecules cannot get free to form gas.
Examples and Uses
In some places in which this phenomenon is observed:
- Removing water from clothes when they are wet: When you hang wet clothes outside to dry, the water on the clothes evaporates into the air.
- Boiling water: When you boil water on a stove, the heat causes the water to evaporate and turn into steam.
- Salt production: In the process of producing salt, seawater is left out to evaporate, leaving behind the salt crystals.
- Water Cycle: During the water cycle the water in the sea and oceans is exposed to sunlight which increases the speed of water molecules to escape in gaseous form.
- Evaporative Coolers: They collect warm air from outside and then it is passed through moisturized pads which are wet completely. As the warm air passes over the wet pads, the water evaporates, absorbing heat from the air. Then cool air is passed through the cooler into the room.
- Desalination: In this process, salt water is desalinated into human-drinkable water. Saltwater is heated it evaporates into salt and other components. then it is condensed into fresh water.
What is Condensation?
It is a scientific phenomenon by which vapor can be converted to liquid the word ‘condense’ means to change from vapor to liquid. It occurs when the temperature of gas or liquid decreases and the molecules lose kinetic energy and have very less movement which causes them to bind together and form a liquid.
Examples and Uses
In some places in which this phenomenon is observed
- Formation of Fog: When warm air containing moisture comes to contact with the colder surfaces which has less temperatures, the moisture being in contact with cold surface condenses into tiny droplets of water which are known as fog
- Water droplets outside cold water glass: You may have observed that if we place a cold glass of water in sunlight, tiny droplets of water are formed outside the glass it is because the temperature of air moisture around the glass decreases and it condenses to form droplets
- Clouds: Water vapor formed from evaporation when moves to higher altitudes where the temperature is low it forms tiny droplets of ice by condensation which we call clouds’
- Distillation: Condensation is used in the process of distillation to separate two liquids having different boiling points. The liquid mixture is heated, and the vapor is condensed to collect the more volatile component in a separate container.
- Power Generation: The condensation process is used is power plants to generate electricity. Steam produced by hot water is used as an energy source for running turbines and generating electricity
- To purify chemicals: Condensation is used to purify chemicals and remove impurities. In this process, the chemical solution is evaporated, and the vapor is condensed to collect the purified chemical.
Conclusion
Hence we can say that evaporation and condensation are two opposite processes that are necessary for the water cycle and many other physical and biological systems. These two processes are interconnected as when evaporation occurs due to the addition of heat energy leads to an increase in the water vapor present in the air, and can also undergo condensation in the right conditions. For example- water evaporates by heat energy then its vapor goes up in the air and cools down to form tiny water droplets, fog, or clouds. Understanding these processes is necessary for a wide range of applications from understanding weather to purifying to designing new materials.
FAQs on Evaporation and Condensation
Q1. What causes evaporation during the water cycle?
Ans: Due to the sunlight, the surface water of oceans gets heated up. The heat increases the kinetic energy of water molecules which made them move faster so the molecules escape the intermolecular forces in the form of vapor.
Q2. Can condensation Cause mold Growth?
Ans: Yes, condensation can contribute to mold growth, especially in areas with high levels of humidity and poor ventilation.
Q3. What are some ways to prevent condensation?
Ans: Some ways to prevent condensation include improving ventilation, reducing moisture levels, and using dehumidifiers.
Q4. How does Evaporation affect the level of water?
Ans: The level of water from sea oceans lakes will decrease as it is exposed to sunlight during evaporation.
Q5. How long does it take for Evaporation?
Ans: The speed of molecules of water increases, its kinetic energy increases until its enough that it can escape in form of gas. As it moves up in the air above temperature is quite low so it cools down and stays in the air for 9-10 days.
Q6. How are the Process of Perspiration and Evaporation similar?
Ans: Perspiration is a kind of evaporation that occurs in our body. The water in our body evaporates, by taking energy from our body which results in lowering our body temperature.