EVAPORATIVE COOLING. THIS IS WHY EVAPORATING SWEAT COOLS THE HUMAN BODY. OUR COOLING ITEMS RELEASE COLD MOISTURE ONTO THE SKIN’S SURFACE WHICH ENHANCES THE EVAPORATIVE PROCESS, ALLOWING CONTINUED COOLING EVEN DURING HARD WORK OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. MOLECULES OF A LIQUID MUST BE NEAR THE SURFACE, BE MOVING IN THE PROPER DIRECTION AND HAVE SUFFICIENT KINETIC ENERGY TO OVERCOME LIQUID-PHASE INTERMOLECULAR FORCES. ONLY A SMALL PROPORTION OF THE MOLECULES MEET THESE CRITERIA, SO THE RATE OF EVAPORATION IS LIMITED. SINCE THE KINETIC ENERGY OF A MOLECULE IS PROPORTIONAL TO ITS TEMPERATURE, EVAPORATION PROCEEDS MORE QUICKLY AT HIGHER temperatures. AS THE FASTER-MOVING MOLECULES ESCAPE, THE REMAINING MOLECULES HAVE A LOWER AVERAGE KINETIC ENERGY AND THE TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID DECREASES.