Why does water evaporate into water vapor when it is below the boiling point?
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Science Whiz
ANSWERS: 1
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Molecules of a liquid (or gas) at a certain temperature are not actually all at the same temperature. They follow a temperature range and distribution described by the Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution curve http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/~wilkins/energy/Companion/E07.4.pdf.xpdf So even if the water's measurable (mean) temerature is 50 degC some of the atoms will have enough energy (kinetic) to escape the attractive forces of the liquid - essentially 'boiling' off. As the temp increases more and more molecules have enough energy to boil off.
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