why do water spilled on the floor dry up at room temperature, though it becomes steam at higher temperature??

Question

water changes to steam at boiling temperatures, but dries up on the floor at room temperatures..??

Answer 1

Water goes into "solution" in the air as long as the air is less than 100% saturated. This happens over a varied period of time depending on a number of factors including air temperature, water temperature and air speed (drafts) in the room. Water becomes steam (boils) when the vapor presssure in the water reaches the atmospheric pressure (this happens at 212 degree F at sea level) At higher altitudes (lower pressures) this happens at a lower temperature (this is why cooking at higher altitudes takes longer). At higher pressures the water boils at a higher temperature (this is the basis of the "pressure" cooker). These are two different processes bases mainly on the fact that there is a "heat of vaporization" this is the required energy that must be put in a liquid to change phase (liquid to a gas). This added energy is what drives the liquid to change into steam. When heat is added to water the temperature rises until it reaches the boiling point. Then all additional heat added does nothing to the temperature of the water, it just goes into changing the phase of the liquid. This is why steam burns are so much more worse than hot liquid burns, they contain more energy. When liquids turn to gas spontaneously, that is evaporation, not vaporization. This process happens as the random liquid particle gains enought energy to go into solution at the interface between the liquid and the gas. Interestingly enough this happens as well with solid water (ice). It is not called evaporation then, it is called sublimation. The next time there is snow on the road, watch it in the morning. The air about it is getting saturated by water vapor changing from soild to gas without changing first to liquid. Cool huh? Sorry about the lengthy explanation, but I hope that clears things up>

Answer 2

why is the sky blue and the grass green?