What is the process called when liquid changes to gas, even though it has not become hot enough to boil?
transpiration
expiration
oxidation
evaporation
Evaporation explains why clothes dry on a clothesline. Evaporation is the process in which a liquid changes to a gas without becoming hot enough to boil. It occurs when individual liquid particles at the exposed surface of the liquid absorb just enough energy to overcome the force of attraction with other liquid particles. If the surface particles are moving in the right direction, they will pull away from the liquid and move into the air. This is illustrated in the Figure below .