The latent heat of vaporization has the effect of cooling a liquid because _ _.
A) a solid absorbs heat from the atmosphere when it becomes vapor
B) when something becomes a gas it releases heat, and the liquid gets cooler as a result
C) the liquid that forms the gas molecules absorbs and stores heat until all of the liquid becomes a gas
D) the gas molecules that form and leave the liquid are the higher temperature molecules in the liquid, so the temperature of the liquid is reduced
E) none of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The latent heat of vaporization involves the process where the highest energy molecules escape the liquid as gas, leaving behind molecules with lower average kinetic energy, which results in a decrease in temperature of the liquid.

The Latent Heat of Vaporization Has the Effect of Cooling