How would you explain evaporation using kinetic molecular theory?

1 Answer
Feb 6, 2016

By the kinetic molecular theory (particle model), all matter consists of particles, there are spaces between the particles, the particles are in constant random motion, and there are forces of attraction and repulsion between the particles.

Furthermore, temperature is defined to be a measure of the average kinetic energy of the particles.

Evaporation is a change of phase from liquid to gas explained as follows :
When particles in the liquid phase are heated, they gain kinetic energy and move faster and further apart. Eventually they have enough energy to escape the forces of attraction holding them together in the liquid phase and they move very fast and far from each other and exist in the gaseous phase.