Question

Why does spilled gasoline evaporate more rapidly on a hot day than on a cold day?

Short answer

Spilled gasoline evaporates more rapidly on a hot day than on a cold day because a greater fraction of molecules has sufficient energy to escape from the liquid at high temperatures than at lower temperatures.

Step-by-step solution

Defining evaporation

Evaporation is a natural process that occurs when a liquid transforms into a gas, generating a pressure or temperature increase.

Explaining evaporation of spilled gasoline

As the temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the molecules of gasoline also increases. This is because velocity is directly proportional to temperature. Therefore, a greater fraction of molecules has sufficient energy to escape from the liquid at high temperatures than at lower temperatures.