Final answer:
When water evaporates, the molecules that escape to the gas phase have an increase in average kinetic energy and a decrease in average potential energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a liquid, such as water, evaporates, the molecules that escape into the gas phase have an increase in average kinetic energy and a decrease in average potential energy compared to when they were in the liquid phase.
The increase in average kinetic energy is due to the fact that molecules in the gas phase move faster than those in the liquid phase. This increase in kinetic energy allows the molecules to overcome the intermolecular forces and escape into the gas phase.
On the other hand, the decrease in average potential energy occurs because the intermolecular forces holding the liquid together are weaker than those between molecules in the gas phase. As a result, the average potential energy of the molecules that escape to the gas phase is lower.