Final answer:
Evaporation is always a cooling process, as it involves the removal of higher energy molecules from the liquid, which in turn lowers the temperature of the remaining liquid.
Step-by-step explanation:
Evaporation is always a cooling process. This occurs because, during evaporation, liquid molecules with higher kinetic energy escape into the gas phase, thereby lowering the average kinetic energy of the remaining liquid molecules, which results in a decrease in temperature. An everyday example of evaporative cooling can be observed when water on the skin evaporates, leaving the skin feeling cooler. On the other hand, condensation, which is the reverse of evaporation, is a warming process as it releases heat equal to the heat of vaporization.