Solution to the Worksheet: What Factors Affect the Rate of Evaporation?
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a. Will Rita’s towel take a longer or shorter time to dry?
Answer:
Rita’s towel will take a
longer time to dry.
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b. Give your reason for your answer in ‘a’.
Answer:
When the towel is folded in half, only one side is exposed to the air, which reduces the surface area of the wet towel that is in contact with the surrounding air. Evaporation occurs at the surface of the liquid, so a smaller surface area means fewer water molecules can escape into the air at the same time. This slows down the rate of evaporation. Therefore, the towel will take longer to dry compared to if it were spread out fully.
Additionally, folding the towel may trap moisture between the layers, preventing it from evaporating quickly. More surface area allows more water molecules to be exposed to air and wind, increasing the rate of evaporation.
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✔ Key Concept Explained: Surface Area and Evaporation
One of the main factors affecting the rate of evaporation is
surface area:
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Larger surface area → faster evaporation
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Smaller surface area → slower evaporation
In this case, folding the towel decreases the surface area exposed to air, hence slowing down drying.
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✔️ Summary:
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Answer (a): Longer time
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Reason (b): Folding reduces surface area, slowing evaporation.
This helps students understand how physical arrangement affects natural processes like drying clothes.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of condensation worksheet.
