Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My daughter had to explain how separating salt from a salt solution is a physical change and not a chemical change. She explained that the salt could be separated by boiling the solution down until the solid salt remained at the bottom of the beaker. Since this process did not result in a new substance, we can conclude that no chemical change occurred.

My question: Is the process of boiling the water off evaporation or vaporization?

Evaporation the the change of state from a liquid to a gas at the surface, usually below the boiling point. However, vaporization is also a change of state from liquid to gas that occurs above the boiling point.

In this case, wouldn't vaporization be the correct term since we are talking about a solution where water is the solvent?

Interesting question!

Here's the generally accepted definitions and differences: Vaporization is any process that describes the conversion of a liquid to a gas - mechanical spraying, atomizing, boiling, or "evaporation".

Evaporation occurs below the boiling point where particles of the liquid go from the surface to the vapor state.

Hope this helps.

Thank you!

To understand the the Difference Between Evaporation and Vaporization... Click on the link to watch the VIDEO
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