How do things dry when it isn’t hot enough for water to evaporate?
In: Physics
The molecules of water in any state are always moving (even well below freezing) to some extent. Those molecules near the surface may actually move fast enough to escape the hydrogen bonds that hold solid and liquid water together and enter the vapor state so they become gas.
The more heat you have in the water, the faster it moves, the more escapes. The boiling point of water is basically the temperature at which all the water will move fast enough to escape and not return to the liquid state.
Also, the less water vapor you have over or around the water in liquid or solid form the more likely it is to have an escape and net loss. So assuming you don’t have saturating humidity most water, especially in small puddles or thin films, will evaporate.
Latest Answers