How would evaporation and condensation work in a sealed terrarium exposed to sunlight?

Answer 1

Any liquid exposed to a gas (water and air in the terrarium) will undergo evaporation. This is due to the internal energy which the particles of liquid will always have unless their temperature is 0 K. When the particles collide they transfer their energy to one another. When a particle at the surface of the liquid receives enough energy to be transformed into the gas phase it evaporates (essentially boiling one particle) while the remaining liquid remains under the boiling point of the liquid. When a terrarium sits in the sunlight it will warm up, receiving thermal energy and exciting the particles in the liquid. The increased thermal energy within the system will increase the rate of evaporation. Increased surface area of the liquid exposed to the gas will also raise the evaporation rate. As the liquid transforms into a gas, it fills the space occupied by the air within the terrarium. When so much moisture enters the air that can no longer hold any more humidity it has reached its dew point. The gaseous liquid begins to fall out of suspension and condense into its liquid phase again. Droplets of liquid will appear on the walls and cover of the terrarium as a result. Cooling the walls and cover of the terrarium will increase the rate of condensation.