Why does water evaporate slowly compared to many other liquids?

• A. Because water has a low specific heat capacity
• B. Because water molecules are held together by strong hydrogen bonds
• C. Because water has a low boiling point
• D. Because water molecules are nonpolar

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that evaporation is the process where molecules at the surface of a liquid gain enough energy to enter the gas phase.
2. Recognize that the rate of evaporation depends on the strength of intermolecular forces holding the molecules together in the liquid.
3. Recall that water molecules are held together by strong hydrogen bonds, which require more energy to break compared to weaker intermolecular forces in many other liquids.
4. Compare this to liquids with weaker intermolecular forces, where molecules can escape into the vapor phase more easily and thus evaporate faster.
5. Conclude that water evaporates slowly because its strong hydrogen bonding makes it harder for molecules to escape from the liquid surface.