Eli5 How does water evaporate without ever reaching 100 degrees celsius?
In: Chemistry
The body of water is made of molecules. Individual molecules on the surface can be given enough heat to reach evaporation before that heat transfers to the surrounding molecules.
If you’ve ever swam in a lake, you’ll notice that the surface feels nice and warm but a few feet down it can be noticeably colder. Water is not a perfect conductor of thermal energy.
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