Final answer:
The process described is distillation, involving vaporization and condensation to purify a liquid. Evaporation occurs when water changes to vapor, which is then condensed back into a liquid during distillation. Option C is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of heating water so that it becomes a vapor, and then condensing the purified vapor so that it collects as a liquid is known as distillation. Distillation involves two main phases: vaporization and condensation. During vaporization, water is converted from a liquid to a gas, which can occur even below the boiling temperature in the process of evaporation.
When this vapor is cooled, the molecules transition back into a liquid in a process called condensation. The reverse of evaporation, condensation releases heat, and this heat can be calculated using the equation Q = mLy, where Q is the heat released, m is the mass, and Ly is the latent heat of vaporization. Distillation is therefore a method that purifies the liquid, as it involves the collection of condensed vapor that has left impurities behind.