MadSci Network: Physics
Query:

Subject: At the molecular (quantum) level, how does water evaporation occur?

Date: Mon Sep 5 23:50:09 2005
Posted by Bruce
Grade level: teacher/prof School: Edison High School
City: Fresno State/Province: CA Country: USA
Area of science: Physics
ID: 1125982209.Ph
Message:

Acording to my calculations, a photon of green (500 nanometer) light has 4 X
10^-19J of energy, and a water molecule, when it evaporates, takes 0.7 X 10^-19
J of energy with it.  This leads me to believe that a single incoming photon
could cause a single water molecule to "go ballistic", i.e. go from liquid to
gas phase.  Alternatively, an incoming photon just generally heats up the water
(notice how vague. . .) and the heat causes all the water molecules to vibrate
faster, and the fastest ones leave the liquid.  Is my first (quantum
interaction) scenario at least partially true?  (My class is studying global
dimming.)


Re: At the molecular (quantum) level, how does water evaporation occur?

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