Question

Which of the following produces more severe burns?

(A) Boiling water (B) Steam (C) Hot air (D) Sun rays​

Answer 1

Answer:

Steam will produce more severe burns than boiling water because steam has more heat energy than water due to its latent heat of vaporisation.J

Answer 2

Answer:

Because steam has much more energy than boiling water, it causes more severe burns. Because it has the extra latent heat of vaporization, B is the right answer.

Explanation:

Steam has more energy than boiling water. It possesses the additional latent heat of vaporization. So, when steam falls on the skin and condenses to produce water it gives out  $22.5$ ×$10^{5}$ J/kg more heat than boiling water at the same temperature.

Latent heat of Vaporization -

• Latent heat of vaporization is a physical property of a substance. It is defined as the heat required to change one mole of liquid at its boiling point under standard atmospheric pressure.
• Because the heat of vaporization is so large, steam carries a great deal of thermal energy that is released when it condenses, making water an excellent working fluid for heat engines.
• Latent heat arises from the work required to overcome the forces that hold together atoms or molecules in a material