Which one of the following statements is not correct?

Evaporation is a surface phenomenon, meaning it occurs only at the liquid's surface. Consequently, the rate of evaporation is directly proportional to the surface area exposed to the atmosphere; a larger surface area provides more molecules at the interface with enough energy to escape into the air. Therefore, statement 2 is incorrect as it falsely claims the rate depends on volume rather than surface area. Other factors correctly identified in the options include temperature, where higher heat increases molecular kinetic energy and evaporation speed [2]. Humidity also plays a critical role; higher relative humidity reduces the air's capacity to absorb more moisture, slowing the process [4]. Finally, wind speed enhances evaporation by replacing saturated air layers near the surface with unsaturated air, maintaining a high vapor pressure gradient [3].

Sources

1. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 10: Water in the Atmosphere > EVAPORATION AND CONDENSATION > p. 86
2. [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 24: Hydrological Cycle (Water Cycle) > Factors Affecting Rate of Evaporation > p. 328
3. [4] Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Understanding the Weather > LET'S REMEMBER > p. 38
4. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 26: Tropical Cyclones > Vapour Pressure of Water And Rate of Evaporation > p. 358