We explain the difference between boiling and evaporation with table. Boiling and evaporation, although they share the same general idea that water transforms from a liquid state to a gaseous state, in general, they are two very different concepts in general. These terms cannot be used interchangeably.
By definition, boiling is the rapid vaporization of a liquid once it has reached its set boiling point. Most liquids have a boiling point that creates a faster and more agitated movement within the substance particles.
Boiling vs Evaporation
The difference between boiling and evaporation lies in the fact that boiling refers to any liquid that turns into a gas after continuous heating. Evaporation refers to a natural process in which liquid turns into gas due to high temperature or pressure.
Boiling appears when the heat is at the boiling point, while evaporation appears at any temperature. Boiling produces bubbles, but evaporation does not produce bubbles. Most of the time, boiling is not a natural process unlike the evaporation process. Evaporation is natural, commonly referred to in the water cycle.
Evaporation can occur at any time, regardless of a rise in temperature. Leave a glass of water on the counter long enough and watch the water levels drop without any human interference.
Comparison table between boiling and evaporation
Boiling evaporation comparison parameter
| Definition | “Steaming or bubbling under the action of heat” | “Change from liquid or solid state to vapor” |
| Particle motion | Boiling creates an extremely rapid movement of water particles, as it is an endothermic process that means the addition of heat to a substance. | Molecules always move, but at a much slower rate than boiling. |
| Natural or unnatural? | Boiling is an unnatural process. | Evaporation is a natural process, it is generally known as the first step in the water cycle. |
| Where it happens | It occurs throughout the liquid due to the addition of so much heat. | It occurs on the surface of the liquid. |
| Hour | Shorter period of time | Takes longer to complete |
| Temperature | Requires a temperature higher than the boiling point | Requires little temperature change |
| Energy required | It adds a lot of energy | Little or no energy is added |
What is boiling?
Whether a pot of water or any other liquid is brought to a boil, the addition of intense heat excites these liquid molecules to move rapidly throughout the substance.
All it takes for something to boil is when that liquid, or an object that was once solid, reaches temperatures higher than its melting point and / or its boiling point.
The intensity of so much energy that is added to make something boil causes the molecules to separate, turn into gaseous molecules, which are then quickly so light that they can enter the atmosphere in less than a few seconds.
One of the key ways to determine when a liquid has transcended beyond its boiling point is when there is clear bubble formation.
When water has risen beyond its boiling point, the thermal energy provided by some type of energy source like a stove or fire is transferred to the water molecules, which become more excited and animate with the addition of energy. .
Its rapid movement causes the molecules to have too much energy to stay together in their liquid state of matter.
With intense temperatures breaking the bonds between the elements that make up the molecules, the molecules are light and are subject to being transported through the air.
When this happens, they have gone from the liquid state of matter to gaseous water vapor molecules, which then float to the surface as pockets of air or bubbles, and are released into the air.
What is evaporation?
Evaporation is a natural process that can be seen and experienced in the natural world. Have you ever seen thick clouds of mist rising above the surface of a lake of water or hovering above the ground?
Fog is extreme evaporation, where many water particles rise due to the difference in temperature of the air compared to the ground.
On a foggy morning, the sun has risen and the air temperature has become warmer than the internal temperature of the ground or body of water.
The reason misty air feels so thick and suffocating to the skin is because of the number of water molecules that are released into the air at once.
Molecules are always moving, and any addition of energy or thermal heat causes the water molecules to collide with each other over and over again.
Any movement of the molecules when they collide with each other is transferred from one water molecule to another. This movement and transfer of energy causes one water molecule to be slightly less massive than the other.
This lighter molecule can break free from the surface where most of the heat has reached and evaporate into the air.
Main differences between boiling and evaporation
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- Copyright is generally granted for 50-70 years after the death of the original copyright creator. However, a patent that is valid for the author for 20 years.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) about boiling and evaporation
- What happens first boiling or evaporation?
In boiling and evaporation, evaporation takes place first and then boiling.
For example: when you keep a container of liquid hot, the amount is reduced as the liquid molecules escape by evaporation, but after heating the liquid for a longer period of time, the liquid begins to boil, which creates some movement in the liquid.
Therefore, evaporation occurs before boiling.
- What is the difference between the boiling point and the boiling point?
Boiling refers to the state in which water begins to evaporate and movement is visible in its form.
A boiling point is generally the temperature at which a liquid begins to boil. Boiling can be defined simply as a phase change from a liquid to a gaseous state.
The boiling point is the lowest temperature at which boiling begins.
- How is the boiling point affected by pressure?
The boiling point is always affected by the atmospheric pressure through which changes occur in the liquid.
The boiling point will be high if the pressure is increased, but the boiling point can also be low if the pressure is lowered or lowered.
Therefore, pressure affects or influences the boiling point at one stage.
- Can we see evaporation?
No, you can’t see evaporation. Evaporation is technically water vapors, which are transparent and tiny in size.
Water vapor vanishes into air so quickly that one cannot see it disappear.
If anyone can see evaporation, then it is not evaporation but vapor or mist.
- Is evaporation a physical change?
Yes, evaporation is a physical change that turns a boiling liquid into gas. You can see the physical change in their quantity after heating as the water molecules evaporate in the air.
Evaporation is a physical change, as it changes the physical state of the substance. However, the substance does not change its identity and remains the same even after evaporation.
- Does water evaporate at 0 degrees?
Yes, water can evaporate at 0 degrees. But water cannot evaporate below 0 degrees. Water freezes below 0 degrees and only sublimates.
This is why you see fog or smoke around a frozen solid ice cube or plate.
Final Thought
Boiling, depending on the amount of liquid that is boiled, and the amount of heat that is transferred, is what decides the amount of time it takes for the substance to completely convert from a liquid state to a gaseous state of matter.
The greater amount of heat energy that is added to a substance will cause it to dissipate faster.
While in chemical terms, both boiling and evaporation are physical changes, boiling requires the presence of additional heat, provided by human interference most of the time.
Evaporation, on the other hand, occurs at any temperature, be it a gentle warming of the sun or the gradual changes in temperature in a room at various points during the day.
Because boiling requires much more heat energy and transfers it to water molecules, the amount of time it would take to boil the full amount of a liquid substance, such as water, would be drastically different while taking the same amount. of liquid to evaporate.
It is necessary to reach a certain temperature for the set boiling point to be compromised, but evaporation will occur naturally without manipulation.
Notice in the definitions, listed in the table above, that it takes the action of heat, whereas one is a process of transformation into steam.
Boiling and evaporation are on two different sides of the spectrum; the application of heat and without any necessary application of heat.
The more information you learn about these ideas, the more you can apply and notice these concepts in everyday life.
