What is the difference between condensation and evaporation?

Condensation and evaporation are opposite thermodynamic phase change processes involving liquids and gases, differing fundamentally in the direction of heat transfer and molecular behavior. Evaporation is the process where a liquid turns into a gas or vapor at temperatures below its boiling point, occurring when liquid molecules absorb thermal energy from their surroundings, gain kinetic energy, and break free into the atmosphere. This process requires a net input of heat and generally results in a cooling effect on the remaining liquid surface, such as sweat evaporating from skin. In contrast, condensation is the process where a gas or vapor transforms into a liquid, occurring when vapor molecules lose thermal energy to a cooler surface or environment, slow down, and bond together. This process releases latent heat into the surroundings and causes warming or heat transfer, such as steam turning into water. While evaporation increases atmospheric humidity by moving moisture from the earth into the air, condensation removes moisture from the air by turning it back into liquid water droplets like dew or rain.