Evaporation and Condensation Interactive Simulation

Evaporation is the change from liquid to gas at a surface; condensation is the reverse change from gas to liquid. Faster-moving (hotter) molecules escape more readily, while humid, cooling air favours droplets returning to the liquid. This simulation uses a signed teaching index—evaporation drive minus condensation drive—to show direction. It is a simplified comparison, not a laboratory mass-transfer equation. Students can change temperature and humidity and compare what happens. Use it for chemistry inquiry with Grades 3–5, Middle School, and High School on a projector or student device.

Standards: NGSS MS-PS1-4

• Why a puddle disappears faster on a hot, dry day than a cool, humid one
• How sweating cools your body through evaporative cooling
• Why dew forms on grass overnight as air cools near the dew point
• How a dehumidifier removes moisture from humid indoor air

1. 1Predict how changing temperature will affect the net phase-change tendency, then test the prediction.
2. 2Use evidence from the interactive visual to explain the result.

Questions teachers ask