Do All Liquids Evaporate At the Same Rate?

Background Information

Evaporation is the transformation of a liquid to the gaseous state under normal conditions of temperature and pressure. It occurs over a large area of water bodies spread on the earth’s surface. That different liquids have different rates of evaporation would be tested in the below project. It finds application in varied fields of Science.

Research Experiment

Abstract

The study is to investigate the rates of evaporation of liquids. It depends on the energy that the molecules possess. For the research, 4 beakers were filled with different liquids and made to stand for 7 days. The quantity left after the time period has elapsed determines the rate at which the liquids evaporate. Studying the individual characteristics of the liquids one could theorize the reason behind the varying rates of evaporation.

Introduction

The purpose of the experiment is to check whether different liquids evaporate at the same rate or not.

Problem Statement

Do all liquids evaporate at the same rate?

Hypothesis

Different liquids evaporate at different rates.

Materials

• Orange juice
• Alcohol
• Nail polish remover
• Water
• 4 beakers with graduations
• Pen and paper

Step By Step Procedure

1. Pour 80 ml of each liquid in separate beakers.
2. Label the beakers with the names of the liquids
3. Place them in a dry location under room temperature.
4. Make a table on the paper to monitor the levels of the beaker for a week.

Video

Observation

You will find that the alcohol evaporates the fastest followed by the rubbing alcohol. Then come water and orange juice that almost evaporate at the same rate. If you are plotting a graph for your research data, the remaining liquid in ml would be your dependent variable and the no. of days the independent variable. You would have to plot separate lines for the different liquids.

Conclusion/Results

After studying the graph, chart or table, it can be concluded that different liquids evaporate at different rates.

Why Does It Happen? Analysis Discussion

The energy buildup in the molecules causes them to evaporate. This is largely dependent on the physical properties of the liquids. The weight of each molecule, intermolecular forces, and density of the liquid have a role to play in deciding the rate of evaporation. Here the water has been used as a control group. One more thing to be kept in mind is, all liquids need to overcome an energy barrier before escaping into the atmosphere as vapor. This energy required is different for different liquids.

If you are preparing a lab report, it is extremely important to get your facts right. Taking notes wherever relevant helps a lot. Don’t miss giving a title, a basic outline in the project abstract and a summary in the end. Keep all the resources handy before starting the project.