I know about basic evaporation of water into the air, is it the same concept if the liquid is not water? I was under the impression that heat was what sped up evaporation, not increased airflow.
In: Physics
The liquid in question is probably mostly water.
The blowing air is providing energy, a kick, to the water to evaporate. While heat is part of it, any temperature of water can become vapor. The way to think of it is that air is a sponge. You have a puddle you need to wipe up. If you heat the area, the sponge becomes a bigger sponge (hot air holds more water than cool air). If you blow air on it with a fan, it’s like using more sponges.
Air absorbs moisture from objects based on the moisture level of the object, and the moisture level of the air. The more moist the air is, the slower it pulls in moisture from other objects.
When you run a fan over it, you’re never allowing the moisture level of the air directly above the spill to rise.
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