Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

What is the process of a liquid turning into vapor called?

1. Condensation

2. Evaporation

3. Precipitation

4. Transpiration

The correct answer is: Evaporation

The process of a liquid turning into vapor is called evaporation. This occurs when molecules at the surface of a liquid gain enough energy, often from heat, to overcome the forces holding them together and escape into the air as gas. Evaporation is an essential concept in various disciplines, including meteorology, environmental science, and nursing, especially when considering processes like temperature regulation in the human body and understanding fluid balance. Other terms related to this phenomenon include condensation, which refers to the process where vapor turns back into a liquid, typically when temperatures drop. Precipitation describes the process by which water, in various forms such as rain, snow, sleet, or hail, falls from the atmosphere to the ground. Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor into the air from their leaves. These concepts highlight the broader context of the water cycle but do not relate to the specific process of a liquid becoming vapor like evaporation does.