NCERT Questions – 8

What produces more severe burns, boiling water or steam?

Answer:

Steam causes more severe burns than boiling water at the same temperature (100°C).

Reasons:

1. Latent Heat of Vaporization

   • Steam contains extra energy in the form of latent heat of vaporization, which it absorbed during the phase change from liquid to gas.
   • When steam condenses back into water on the skin, it releases this extra heat, causing more severe burns than boiling water.

2. Higher Heat Transfer

   • Steam transfers more heat energy to the skin compared to boiling water because gases have higher energy content than liquids at the same temperature.
   • This results in deeper and more painful burns.

Thus, steam at 100°C causes more severe burns than boiling water at 100°C due to the release of latent heat during condensation.