How does water evaporate when it’s not at its boiling temp?

Question

Like if I spill water and it’s dry when I come back in a couple hours how did it do that without getting up to its boiling temp?

Is it the same type of thing like when my hair is wet and it’s in the process of drying? Because it isn’t at the 212° F or I’d feel it, right?

In: 3

Answer 1

Imaging a border between water and air. Water contains 99,…% of water molecules and some gases. Air contains different gases and some molecules of water. This border is transparent. Molecules continuously go to and fro that border. The main direction is from higher concentration to lower. There are several factors which affect this movement but on the ELI5 level water molecules mainly continuously jump into air.