What is a change of state of water from the liquid to vapor?

The change of state of water from liquid to vapor is called evaporation.

Evaporation is a form of vaporization that occurs at the surface of a liquid. Individual water molecules are constantly moving; some near the surface gain enough energy to overcome the forces holding them in the liquid and escape into the air as water vapor. This can happen even when water is far below its boiling point.

Temperature, surface area, wind, air pressure, and humidity all affect the rate. Warm water usually evaporates faster, as does water spread across a large surface. Wind removes moist air above the liquid, while high humidity slows evaporation because the surrounding air already contains substantial water vapor.

Evaporation is central to Earth’s water cycle. Sunlight drives water into the atmosphere from oceans, lakes, soil, and plants. Because the fastest, highest-energy molecules leave, the remaining liquid cools—a process called evaporative cooling. Boiling is different: it produces vapor throughout the liquid, not just at the surface.