Correct me if I'm wrong. Boiling is when all the particles in a liquid have enough energy to escape.

 

If this is so, why doesn't the liquid boil off all at once. ie it disappears instantly when it reaches boiling point?

Assume 100°C is the temp of your liquid to boil (water, 1atm)

 

Although that the temp is 100°C this doesn't mean that all the molecules will change state from liquid to gas.

There is an extra amount of energy required to do the 'conversion' from liquid to gas.

about 2260KJ/kg. (for water)

 

 

Here a link to that site I almost always refer to (it's a great site)

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/phase.html#c1

take into account pressure of the liquid weight bearing down on the 100c molecules, confinement will increase thier boiling point also. think about collisions too

Oh. I remember now, its that latent heat energy right???

no, it`s to do with molecular pressures, latent heat energy is a physics thing to do with calorific values etc,,, on heating a subtance of a known value, quantity and temp.

like a bomb calorimeter.

oh. Ok, now i get it. Thanx man!