evaporation

A change of state from liquid to vapor, at a temperature below the boiling point. Along with condensation, it is one of the main thermodynamic processes taking place in the atmosphere, involving a large amount of heat. For every gram of liquid water that evaporates, around 600 calories are absorbed from the air. This is the heat energy required for that gram of water to turn into vapor.

Related terms: latent heat

Also known as: vaporization