We explain what vaporization is, how this physical process occurs and various examples. Also, evaporation and boiling.
What is vaporization?
Vaporization or evaporation is the physical process of phase change through which matter goes from a liquid or solid state to a gaseous state (vapor). It is a term in general use, in the context of science, that can encompass and group more specific transformation processes, such as sublimation (change from solid to gaseous) or boiling (intense change from liquid to gaseous).
Vaporization is a very everyday physical phenomenon, present in numerous areas of human life, as well as in different natural environments. In fact, It is an indispensable part of the hydrological cycle which allows the perpetuation of water on the planet through a circuit of transformations that, at the same time, allows the circulation of energy.
However, also It is possible to use vaporization as a method of separation of mixtures especially solutions. It consists of bringing the mixture to a temperature and/or pressure point at which only one of the mixed substances evaporates, and becomes a gas and is separated from the other substance that remains in the container where both were contained.
This is possible because different substances have very different boiling points and evaporation margins, which respond to their chemical nature. This is what happens, for example, when sea water evaporates due to the action of the sun, and the salt crystals dissolved in the liquid remain on the rocks.
Evaporation, vaporization and boiling
We can speak interchangeably of evaporation and vaporization, since they are synonyms. However, the term “boiling” refers to another concept:
- Evaporation. We speak of evaporation when a liquid left standing evaporates, without us having to add heat or expressly modify its conditions. For example, if we leave a glass of water forgotten for a while, it will evaporate sooner or later, and we will find the glass empty.
- Boiling. When we talk about boiling, we refer to the change from the liquid phase to the gas phase of a substance, to which we are introducing heat until it reaches its boiling point. It is distinguished from evaporation in that it requires an express modification of the temperature and/or pressure conditions of the liquid. This is what happens, for example, when we boil water and we can see steam escaping from the surface of the liquid, as the vapor decreases in the container.
Examples of vaporization
Some examples of vaporization:
- rain water that remains puddled on the street will slowly transform into vapor due to the action of sunlight.
- When we clean our hands with alcohol this disappears quickly because it becomes gaseous almost immediately when subjected to the regular pressure of the atmosphere.
- Liquefied natural gas (in liquid state) that certain vehicles use as fuel immediately recovers its gaseous state when it is decompressed by allowing it to leave the container.
- Certain liquid hydrocarbons They can release toxic gases spontaneously, when extracted from the subsoil, because part of their upper layers evaporate quickly.
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References
- “Vaporization” on Wikipedia.
- “Difference between vaporization and boiling” (video) Academia Usero Educational Videos.
- “Evaporation” at the University of Barcelona (Spain).
- “Vaporization method to separate mixtures” in CubaEduca, Cuban Educational Portal.
- “Vaporization (phase change)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
