There are primarily 3 states of matter. And matter can change states through various processes. Liquid change to gases by evaporation and gas turns into liquid by condensation. The primary difference between evaporation and condensation is the starting and ending states of matter. In this article, we discuss the 9 differences between evaporation and condensation.
Difference between evaporation and condensation
| S.No | Description | Evaporation | Condensation |
| 1 | Definition | It is a type of vaporization that occurs on the surface of the liquid as it changes into the gas phase. Process in which liquid changes into gas or vapor. | Condensation is a process where gas is turned into liquid or a Reaction in which two molecules are joined together resulting in loss of water. |
| 2 | Example | Example of evaporation: 1. Drying of lakes and ponds. 2. Crystallization 3.Fractional distillasion 4. Concentration of chemicals 5. Collection of precipitates from solvent 6. Steam from boiling water | Example of condensation reaction: 1. Water vapor in the air changes into liquid water when it comes in contact with the cooler surface forming water droplets. 2. fogging on mirror and spectacles etc. 3. Condensation of gases |
| 3 | Water cycle | Evaporation in the water cycle: In presence of sunlight temperature of water increases. The hydrogen bonds of the H2O molecule from the surface start breaking due to which dissociated molecules move upward. The evaporation takes place from the surface but not from the inside. | Condensation in the water cycle: Condensation is important in the formation of clouds. The water vapor(gas) present in the air organizes itself around the dust particles in the air. Heat is released during this process and the water vapor turns into liquid form and comes down as rain. |
| 4 | Conditions Necessary | Evaporation occurs at all times, places, and surfaces when air is hot, dry, and windy. | Condensation starts with the formation of atomic clusters within its gaseous volume. |
| 5 | Heat exchange | This is an endemic process | This is an exothermic process |
| 6 | Mechanism | During this process the force of attraction between the particles becomes low and hence there is a change in the state of matter. Takes place in low altitudes with high temperatures. | During this process, gaseous molecules aggregate around particles like dust, pollen, and bacteria and turn into a liquid state. |
| 7 | Types | Methods of evaporation: 1. Spontaneous evaporation in the open air. 2. Evaporation by the application of heat (E.g boiling water into steam by the application of heat) 3. Evaporation by indirect application of heat from the fire by means of steam, with or without pressure. 4. Evaporation under reduced pressure. | Types of condensation reaction: 1. Condensation in the air by condensing around dust particles. 2. Using an instrument like a condenser to convert gases into liquid. |
| 8 | Application | Application of evaporation: In industries like printing, coating process, and recovery of salts. For drying of materials. In chemical labs for the collection of precipitates, the separation of materials is like in the case of fractional distillation. | Application of Condensation: In air conditioners and refrigerators. Air wells and fog fences to reduce desertification. |
| 9 | Factors affecting the processes | Factors that affect evaporation: 1. Temperature: As temperature increases the rate of evaporation increases. 2. Surface area: As surface area increase s rate of evaporation increases. 3. Humidity: The rate of evaporation decreases when humidity increases. 4. Wind speed: As the wind increases evaporation increases. | Factors that Govern condensation: 1. The water vapor content of the air. 2. Inside room temperature 3. Outside temperature 4. Temperature variation ( internal and external) |
Difference between evaporation and condensation in images
The condensed exhaust from an aircraft flying at high altitudes is called a contrail.
Water is evaporated to produce common salt.
Why does the mirror gets fogged up?
The condensation of water vapor as it touches a mirror (cold surface) causes it to get fogged up. The vapor undergoes a change in the state of matter from gaseous to liquid and forms tiny water droplets on the mirror. There is also a temperature at which the water vapor can condense.
