Difference Between Evaporation and Boiling

What is Evaporation?

When a liquid is heated, the progressive increase in temperature causes the water molecules that contain more energy to move to the surface and escape the attraction that is exerted, thus transforming into a gaseous state in the form of steam. This process occurs at temperatures below the boiling point and is what is commonly observed in nature, in lakes, seas and rivers that evaporate as a result of the heat radiated by the sun.

Even evaporation is also part of the anatomy of human beings, and it is that the water that evaporates from the skin helps maintain body temperature. Therefore, if the weather is hot, we perspire so that the skin cools to this extent; while if there is humidity, sweating is not observed, as it is retained to balance the water vapor in the air with body temperature.

What is boiling?

When a liquid is exposed to high temperatures and it reaches the maximum point where it begins to boil, we are talking about boiling. However, for this to happen, it is necessary that the vapor pressure of a liquid equals the pressure of its surroundings, which causes the substance to boil, since the entire mass is altered, generating gas bubbles from its interior towards the air, generating as a consequence evaporation. It should be noted that according to the density of the liquid, the boiling point varies; which in the case of water, is 100 °C.

Difference Between Evaporation and Boiling

-While the evaporation process in substances occurs on the surface of the liquid, boiling occurs throughout the mass and due to the high temperatures, vapor bubbles are formed from the interior that rise and break on the surface.

-Evaporation is due to the increase in temperature that can be observed in the natural environment, but in terms of boiling, it is only evident when the maximum temperature is reached and the liquid begins to boil; it is usually a state that is achieved through the manipulation of conditions and not a natural process.

-Boiling occurs after the liquid mass reaches the maximum temperature when exposed to heat; in water it occurs when it reaches 100 ° C. But evaporation happens when the liquid is heated, the process being accelerated whenever there is an increase in temperature.

-It is possible to achieve evaporation without reaching the boiling point, however it is impossible to achieve the boiling process in liquid matter without evaporation occurring previously or simultaneously.