Does evaporation produces a cooling effect?
Yes, it can. In fact, refrigeration relies on evaporation to provide that cooling effect. Your refrigerator and freezer at home, as well as your air conditioner all use evaporation as the manner in with it cools. Medieval Persia had buildings that used cisterns and wind towers to cool buildings during the hot season: cisterns (large open pools in a central courtyards, not underground tanks) collected rain water; wind towers had windows that could catch wind and internal vanes to direct the airflow down into the building, usually over the cistern and out through a downwind cooling tower. Cistern water evaporated, cooling the air in the building. Egyptians, Indians, Greeks and Romans hung wet mats over their doors and windows. Wind blowing through the mats was cooled by the evaporation.
Evaporation removes heat. Any liquid will remove heat when it evaporates, but some will evaporate at lower temperatures and at a faster rate. The reason you shiver when you’re wet (or feel cooler when you sweat)is the water evaporating off your skin. When there is excess moisture in the air (humidity) your body will not cool itself as well because less evaporation takes place. Dab some rubbing alcohol on your skin, the cooling sensation is the alcohol evaporating and removing heat in the process. The refrigerant in your refrigerator or air conditioner is like alcohol on steroids. It evaporates so quickly, even at temperatures well below freezing, you’d never want it on your skin-the evaporation causes a “burn” of sorts.
