Evaporation Flashcards
What is evaporation?
liquid water turns into water vapour as it gains energy from the sun and latent heat allowing bonds to be broken
What is evapotranspiration?
the combined losses of water through evaporation and transpiration
What processes does latent heat of vapourisation cover?
condensation and evaporation
What factors affect the rate of evaporation?
- temperature
- availability of water
- humidity
- solar energy
Why is latent heat needed for evaporation?
as the solar energy from the sun is often not enough
What is absolute humidity?
the amount of water in the air
How does temperature affect how much moisture air can hold?
hotter temperatures lead to more moisture
What is relative humidity?
the amount of water vapour in the air at a given temperature compared to how much the air could possibly hold at that temperature
What is meant if air is said to be saturated?
100% relative humidity, the air is holding as much moisture/water vapour as possible at a given temperature
What is dew point temperature?
the temperature at which the relative humidity is 100% (saturation is reached), any change in temperature will result in condensation or even sublimation (if below freeze point)
Why would warm air increase global temperatures?
holds more moisture, which causes dew point to be reached, this then causes condensation which releases energy as heat
why does cooler air lead to cooler temperatures?
less moisture, which means dew point is not reached, this means that no condensation is occurring so no energy is being released as heat
What is latent heat?
heat in the surroundings, often leftover from condensation
What is water vapour?
water in its gaseous state
What is potential evapotranspiration?
the amount of water that would be lost (through evaporation and transpiration) if the water supply was unlimited
