QUESTION IMAGE
Question
- explain why increasing the temperature of a liquid increases its rate of evaporation.
Evaporation depends on the kinetic energy of liquid molecules. When temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of liquid molecules ($KE = \frac{3}{2}kT$ where $k$ is Boltzmann constant and $T$ is temperature) increases. More molecules gain enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces holding them in the liquid phase and escape into the gaseous phase. Also, higher temperature leads to more frequent and energetic collisions, helping more molecules reach the surface and evaporate. So, a higher temperature means a faster rate of evaporation.
Snap & solve any problem in the app
Get step-by-step solutions on Sovi AI
Photo-based solutions with guided steps
Explore more problems and detailed explanations
Increasing the temperature of a liquid increases the average kinetic energy of its molecules (via \( KE=\frac{3}{2}kT \), where \( k \) is Boltzmann’s constant and \( T \) is temperature). More molecules gain enough energy to overcome intermolecular forces, escape the liquid’s surface, and enter the gas phase. Higher - energy collisions also increase the rate at which molecules reach the surface to evaporate, thus raising the evaporation rate.