What is the Difference Between Evaporation and Transpiration?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Evaporation and transpiration are both natural processes that contribute to the hydrological cycle, but they differ in several aspects:
- Definition: Evaporation is the process of surface water absorbing heat energy and changing from a liquid to a gas, while transpiration is the process of water evaporating through plants.
- Nature: Evaporation is a physical process, whereas transpiration is a biological process.
- Speed: Transpiration is generally a slower process compared to evaporation.
- Occurrence: Transpiration occurs in living tissues of plants, while evaporation involves non-living matter.
- Water Loss: In transpiration, water is lost from plant cells, whereas in evaporation, water is lost from the surface of plant parts.
- Purpose: Transpiration helps make the surface of leaves and young stems wet, protecting them from sunburn, while evaporation provides dryness to the free surface.
Evaporation occurs from free water sources like rivers, lakes, and oceans, while transpiration is the dominant pathway for water to return to the atmosphere through plants. Both processes are essential components of the hydrological cycle and play a crucial role in linking the environment, plants, and animals.
Comparative Table: Evaporation vs Transpiration
Evaporation and transpiration are both natural processes that involve the conversion of liquid water into water vapor. However, there are significant differences between the two processes. Here is a table highlighting the differences between evaporation and transpiration:
Feature | Evaporation | Transpiration |
---|---|---|
Type | Physical | Biological |
Speed | Fast | Slow |
Occurrence | Non-living matter | Living tissues |
Location | Free water surfaces, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans | Aerial parts of plants, such as leaves, stems, and flowers |
Process | Involves transformation of water from liquid to gaseous state | Involves loss of water in the form of vapor from plants |
Sunburn Protection | Provides dryness to the free surface | Makes the surface of leaves and young stems wet, protecting them from sunburn |
Stomata Involvement | Does not involve stomata | Occurs through stomata, cuticle, or lenticels |
Evaporation is a physical process that occurs in non-living matter, such as water surfaces, and is influenced by factors like temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Transpiration, on the other hand, is a biological process that takes place in living organisms, specifically in the aerial parts of plants. It is affected by factors like solar radiation, temperature, light, and wind speed.
- Evaporation vs Condensation
- Evaporation vs Vaporization
- Transpiration vs Sweating
- Guttation vs Transpiration
- Sublimation vs Evaporation
- Evaporation vs Distillation
- Evaporation vs Boiling
- Evaporation vs Crystallization
- Boiling Point vs Evaporation
- Boiling vs Evaporating
- Actual Evapotranspiration vs Potential Evapotranspiration
- Stomatal Conductance vs Transpiration
- Condensation vs Precipitation
- Sublimation vs Condensation
- Distillation vs Condensation
- Capillary Action vs Transpiration Pull
- Exudate vs Transudate
- Diffusion vs Effusion
- Adsorption vs Desorption