evaporates

Evaporates is the third-person singular present tense form of the verb evaporate. It is used in sentences to describe a liquid turning into a gas as a result of energy input or environmental conditions.

In physics, evaporation is the phase transition from liquid to gas that occurs at the surface of a liquid when molecules gain enough energy to overcome cohesive forces. The process happens at temperatures below the liquid’s boiling point and is driven by molecular energy at the surface.

The rate of evaporation depends on several factors: temperature difference between the liquid and its surroundings, the vapor pressure of the liquid, surface area exposed to air, wind or air movement, and ambient humidity. Liquids with higher volatility tend to evaporate faster; the presence of dissolved substances can lower vapor pressure and slow evaporation.

Evaporation usually happens below the liquid’s boiling point. Boiling, by contrast, involves rapid vapor formation within the liquid when its vapor pressure reaches atmospheric pressure.

Common examples include water evaporating from a lake or a cup, wet clothes drying in air, and puddles shrinking after rain. Industrially, evaporation is used in processes such as concentration of solutions and desalination, and in evaporation ponds for salt production.

The concept is central to meteorology, hydrology, and chemical engineering, and the verb form evaporates is widely used in descriptive sentences.