The process by which a liquid changes into a gas is ...

The process by which a liquid changes into a gas is ...

• A. Condensation
• B. Transpiration
• C. Evapotranspiration
• D. Evaporation

Answer: (D)

Evaporation is the process where a liquid becomes a gas. It happens at the surface of the water and does not require the liquid to reach its boiling point. Energy from the sun or surrounding heat gives some water molecules enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces and escape into the air as water vapor. The rate depends on temperature, how dry the air is, wind speed, and the surface area of the water exposed. In the hydrological cycle, evaporation turns liquid water from oceans, lakes, and soils into atmospheric vapor, which can later condense into clouds. The other processes are different: condensation is gas turning back into liquid, transpiration is water loss through plant stomata, and evapotranspiration combines evaporation with plant-driven water loss.

Evaporation is the process where a liquid becomes a gas. It happens at the surface of the water and does not require the liquid to reach its boiling point. Energy from the sun or surrounding heat gives some water molecules enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces and escape into the air as water vapor. The rate depends on temperature, how dry the air is, wind speed, and the surface area of the water exposed. In the hydrological cycle, evaporation turns liquid water from oceans, lakes, and soils into atmospheric vapor, which can later condense into clouds. The other processes are different: condensation is gas turning back into liquid, transpiration is water loss through plant stomata, and evapotranspiration combines evaporation with plant-driven water loss.