Chapter 12.2, Problem 37SSC

To determine

To Explain: The fine mist of water evaporates quickly and cools the surrounding air.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

When water converts from liquid to gas, its process is known as evaporation. The latent heat of vaporization of water is $2,260\text{ kJ/kg}$ .

The heat required to vaporize the water is high. This implies that when water evaporates, it absorbs the heat from surroundings to break free the bonds and overcome the force of attraction between water molecules and turns into a gaseous phase. As the heat is absorbed from the surrounding, it in turn cools the air.