Which of the following phenomenna lead to decrease in volume of a liquid in an open container?
Answer Details
Evaporation leads to decrease in volume of a liquid in an open container. This is because during evaporation, the molecules at the surface of the liquid gain enough kinetic energy to overcome the intermolecular forces of attraction and escape into the atmosphere as vapour. As a result, the total number of molecules in the liquid decreases and the volume of the liquid decreases as well. This process continues until the rate of evaporation equals the rate of condensation, at which point the liquid reaches equilibrium with the surrounding atmosphere.