What is the term for the process of a liquid turning into a gas?

The process of a liquid turning into a gas is known as evaporation. This occurs when molecules in the liquid gain enough energy to overcome the intermolecular forces holding them together, allowing them to escape into the air as vapor. This transition usually happens at the surface of the liquid and can occur at any temperature, although it typically happens more rapidly at higher temperatures.

Understanding evaporation is crucial in various scientific contexts, including meteorology, where it plays a significant role in the water cycle, and in everyday situations like drying clothes or the process of sweating in humans.

Condensation, on the other hand, is the process in which a gas turns back into a liquid, which is the opposite of evaporation. Sublimation refers to a direct transition from solid to gas without becoming a liquid, and freezing is the process of a liquid turning into a solid. Each of these terms describes distinct physical processes that do not apply to the transformation from liquid to gas.