What is the term for when water transitions from liquid to gas?

The transition of water from a liquid state to a gas is specifically known as evaporation. This process occurs when molecules in the liquid gain enough energy—typically from heat—to overcome intermolecular forces and escape into the air as vapor.

Evaporation can occur at any temperature, as it involves individual molecules leaving the surface of the liquid. This process plays a crucial role in the water cycle and is important in various natural and artificial systems, including cooling mechanisms in the body and the environment.

Understanding evaporation is essential in nursing, where considerations of fluid balance and temperature regulation are pivotal in patient care. The other terms, such as condensation, freezing, and sublimation, relate to different transitions in states of matter and do not apply to the conversion of liquid water into water vapor.