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I Did An Experiment On Evaporation. The Liquids Evaporated In This Order: Rubbing Alcohol, Water, Vinegar, Pop, Juice And Bleach. Why?

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Mark Henderson Profile
Mark Henderson answered
There are numerous factors that determine how quickly or slowly a liquid evaporates in air. The reason why these substances would have evaporated in this order is due to these scientific"rules";

Why do some liquids evaporate faster than others?
  • The concentration of the substance evaporating in the air: If the air already has a high concentration of a substance, then that substance will evaporate slower.
  • The concentration of other substances in the air: If the air is already full of other substances, then it will evaporate a new substance slower.
  • The flow rate of the air: If new air is moving over the substance it will evaporate quicker, because a higher volume of air will be in contact with the substance. The higher volume means there is a smaller chance of the air being too saturated (see the the previous two points).
  • Inter-molecular forces: This is the strength of the bonds between molecules in a substance. For example, water has a much higher molecular weight than rubbing alcohol, but because of the strength of water's Hydrogen bonds, it evaporates slower.
  • Pressure: A substance can evaporate more easily if there is less air pressure "holding down" the molecules.
  • Surface area: The larger the surface area, the quicker a substance will evaporate. This is because more molecules are exposed to the air and therefore are able to "escape".
  • Temperature: If a substance is hot then its molecules will have a higher amount of kinetic energy, which again will make it easier for them to escape.
  • Density: A substance with a high density will evaporate much more slowly than one with a lower density.
Anonymous Profile
Anonymous answered
It all depends on the mass of the liquid's molecules, the attraction to each other, how dense the liquids are, and the concentration of other substances in the liquid.

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