What term describes a substance, often a liquid, that tends to evaporate quickly?

The term that describes a substance, often a liquid, which tends to evaporate quickly is "volatile." Volatile substances have a high vapor pressure at room temperature, meaning they readily transition from a liquid to a gas. This property is particularly important in various fields, such as forensic science and chemistry, as it affects how substances are handled, stored, and analyzed.

In contrast, "inert" refers to substances that do not readily react chemically, "stable" indicates a substance that does not easily change its physical or chemical state, and "non-combustible" describes materials that do not burn or ignite easily. None of these terms accurately convey the rapid evaporation characteristic of volatile substances.