Evaporation
/ɪˌvæpəˈreɪʃən/
Definitions
The process of a liquid turning into a gas.
/ɪˌvæpəˈreɪʃən/
The process of a substance in a liquid state changing to a gaseous state due to an increase in temperature or pressure.
The ocean's evaporation contributes to the formation of clouds.
💡 Simply: Imagine you leave a puddle of water outside. The sun warms it up, and the water slowly disappears. That's evaporation! It's like the water is turning into a gas and floating away.
👶 For kids: When water turns into a gas and goes up in the air, like when a puddle dries up.
More Examples
Evaporation is a vital process in cooling systems.
The scientist studied the rate of evaporation under different conditions.
How It's Used
"The rate of evaporation increases with higher temperatures."
"Evaporation is a key component of the water cycle."
Idioms & expressions
evaporate into thin air
To disappear completely or vanish suddenly, leaving no trace.
"The evidence evaporated into thin air, leaving the police with no leads."
From Latin evaporare ('to evaporate'), from e- ('out') + vapor ('steam, vapor'). The word entered English in the 16th century.
The term 'evaporation' has been used in scientific contexts since the early modern period to describe the process of liquids turning into vapors, which has important implications in chemistry and physics, and can be seen in the works of authors like Robert Boyle and Antoine Lavoisier.
Memory tip
Think of a puddle disappearing on a hot day - that's evaporation!