Which of the following statements about boiling and evaporation at atmospheric pressure is correct?
Answer Details
Boiling and evaporation are two processes of changing a liquid into a gas. The main difference between them is that boiling occurs at a specific temperature, while evaporation can occur at any temperature. At atmospheric pressure, which is the pressure exerted by the Earth's atmosphere, water boils at 100oC. So, if water is heated to 100oC, it will start to boil and turn into steam. Evaporation, on the other hand, occurs when water turns into steam at temperatures below its boiling point. This happens because some of the water molecules at the surface gain enough energy to break their bonds and become gas molecules. Evaporation can occur at any temperature, but it happens faster at higher temperatures. So, based on the above explanations, we can conclude that the correct statement is: "Boiling takes place at 100o while evaporation may take place at temperatures lower than 100oC."