RATE OF EVAPORATION OF

DIFFERENT LIQUIDS
In this project, we shall investigate various factors such as nature of liquid, surface
of liquid and temperature and find their correlation with the rate of evaporation
of different liquids.

When liquid is placed in an open vessel. It slowly escapes into gaseous phase
eventually leaving the vessel empty. This phenomenon is known as vaporization
or evaporation. Evaporation of liquids can be explained in the terms of kinetic
molecular model although there are strong molecular attractive forces which hold
molecules together. The molecules having sufficient kinetic energy can escape
into gaseous phase. If such molecules happen to come near the surface in a
sample of liquid all the molecules do not have same kinetic energy. There is a
small fraction of molecules which have enough kinetic energy to overcome the
attractive forces and escapes into gaseous phase. Evaporation causes cooling. This
is due to the reason that the molecules which undergo evaporation have high
kinetic energy therefore the kinetic energy of the molecules which are left behind
is less. Since the remaining molecules which are left have lower average kinetic
energy. Therefore temperature is kept constant the remaining liquid will have
same distribution of the molecular kinetic energy and high molecular energy will
kept one escaping from liquid into gaseous phase of the liquid is taken in an open
vessel evaporation will continue until whole of the liquid evaporates.

Evaporation is an essential part of the water cycle. Solar energy drives

evaporation of water from oceans, lakes, moisture in the soil, and other sources
of water. In hydrology, evaporation and transpiration (which involves evaporation
within plant stomata) are collectively termed evapotranspiration. Evaporation is
caused when water is exposed to air and the liquid molecules turn into water
vapor which rises up and forms clouds.
1. Concentration of the substance evaporating in the air.
If the air Already has a high concentration of the substance evaporating, then the
given substance will evaporate more slowly.
2.Concentration of other substances in the air.
If the air is already saturated with other substances, it can have a lower capacity
forth substance evaporating.

3. Temperature of the substance.

If the substance is hotter, then evaporation will be faster.

4.Flow rate of air.

This is in part related to the concentration points above. If fresh air is moving over
the substance all the time, then the concentration of the substance in the air is
less likely to go up with time, thus encouraging faster evaporation. In addition,
molecules in motion have more energy than those at rest , and so the stronger
the flow of air, the greater the evaporating power of the air molecules.

5.Inter-molecular forces.
The stronger the forces keeping the molecules together in the liquid or solid state
the more energy that must be input in order to evaporate them.

6. Surface area and temperature.

The rate of evaporation of liquids varies directly with temperature. With the
increase in the temperature, fraction of molecules having sufficient kinetic energy
to escape out from the surface also increases. Thus with the increase in
temperature rate of evaporation also increases. Molecules that escape the
surface of the liquids constitute the evaporation .Therefore larger surface area
contributes accelerating evaporation.
7. Nature of Liquids.
The magnitude of inter-molecular forces of attraction in liquid determines the
speed of evaporation. Weaker the inter-molecular forces of attraction larger are
the extent of evaporation. In diethyl ether rate of evaporation is greater than that
of ethyl alcohol.
8. Composition of Environment.
The rate of evaporation of liquids depends upon the flow of air currents above
the surface of the liquid. Air current flowing over the surface of the liquid took
away the molecules of the substance in vapour state thereby preventing
condensation
.

9. Density.
The higher the density, the slower a liquid evaporates. In the US, the

National Weather Service measures the actual rate of evaporation from a

standardized "pan" open water surface outdoors, at various locations nation
wide.Others do likewise around the world. The US data is collected and compiled
into an annual evaporation map. The measurements range from under 30 to over
the120 inches (3,000 mm) per year.
10. Pressure
In an area of less pressure, evaporation happens faster because there is less
exertion on the surface keeping the molecules from launching themselves.

APPARATUS:
Three petridishes of diameter 10 cm with covers
10 ml pipette
Stop watch
CHEMICALS:
Acetone
Benzene
Chloroform
Clean and dry the petridishes and mark them as A, B, C.
Pipette out 10 ml of acetone to petridish A and cover it.
Pipette out 10 ml of benzene in petridish B and cover it.
Pipette out 10 ml of chloroform in petridish C and cover it.
Uncover all the three petridishes simultaneously and start the stop-watch.
Note the respective time when the liquids evaporate completely from each
petridish.

Petri dishes Liquid Taken Volume Vol. Rate(V/T)

Marked (V1)ml. remaining Evaporated ml./s
(V2)ml. V=V1-V2
A 10 2 8 8/600=0.0133

B 10 3 7 7/600=0.0116
C 10 4 6 6/600=0.010

Rate of evaporation of the given three liquids is in the order:

Chloroform=0.0133 ml./s
Benzene=0.0116ml./s
Acetone=0.010ml./s
Chloroform > Benzene > Acetone

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