Boiling Point

Temperature at which the vapor pressure of a liquid is equal to the ambient pressure – thus, the boiling point depends on pressure. A liquid may change to a gas at temperatures below the boiling point by evaporationProcess in which atoms or molecules in a liquid state (or solid state if the substance sublimes) gain sufficient energy to enter the gaseous state. Click on Term to Read More. However, evaporation is a surface phenomenon where only molecules located near the gas/liquid surface may evaporate. Boiling is a bulk process where, at the boiling point, molecules anywhere in the liquid may be vaporized, resulting in the formation of vapor bubbles.