During the formation of rain, when water vapour changes back to liquid...
The energy contained in the gaseous form (vapour) is more than the energy contained in the liquid form (water), therefore when vapour changes to water it loses some heat.
View all questions of this test
During the formation of rain, when water vapour changes back to liquid...
Formation of Rain and Release of Heat
Rain is formed through a process called condensation, where water vapor in the air changes back into liquid water. This condensation occurs when the air temperature cools down and reaches its dew point, which is the temperature at which the air becomes saturated and can no longer hold all the water vapor it contains.
During the formation of raindrops, heat is released. This heat release is a result of the energy transformation that takes place when water vapor changes its state from a gas to a liquid. Let's understand this process in more detail:
1. Evaporation:
- Water from various sources such as lakes, rivers, and oceans evaporates due to the heat from the sun.
- This evaporation process converts liquid water into water vapor, which is the gaseous state of water.
2. Condensation:
- The water vapor rises into the atmosphere and mixes with the air.
- As the water vapor ascends, the temperature of the surrounding air decreases, either due to the decrease in altitude or the presence of cooler air masses.
- The cooling of the air causes the water vapor to lose heat energy and start condensing back into liquid water.
- The water vapor molecules slow down, come closer together, and form tiny water droplets or ice crystals, depending on the temperature.
3. Cloud Formation:
- The condensed water droplets or ice crystals in the air continue to combine and form larger droplets.
- These droplets may collide with each other and merge, eventually forming clouds.
4. Raindrop Formation:
- Inside the clouds, the water droplets continue to grow in size as they collide and merge with other droplets.
- When these droplets become too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they start to fall towards the Earth's surface.
- As the raindrops descend through the atmosphere, they experience resistance from the air. This resistance causes the raindrops to accelerate, and during this process, they release heat energy.
Therefore, during the formation of rain, heat is released as water vapor changes back into liquid in the form of raindrops. This heat release is a result of the energy transformation from the gaseous state to the liquid state.
To make sure you are not studying endlessly, EduRev has designed Class 7 study material, with Structured Courses, Videos, & Test Series. Plus get personalized analysis, doubt solving and improvement plans to achieve a great score in Class 7.