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Previous answer was "It can be at a higher temperature" that's true but not nearly the whole story. A magicaly property of water-steam is the huge amount of energy involved in the "Latent Heat of Vaporization", that's the energy required to vaporize water to steam after the fluid is at boiling temperature (nominal 212F). To heat water takes about 1 BTU/lb-Deg F so heating water from 112 to 212 takes about 100 BTU, once at 212 F it take another about 1,000 BTU to vaporize it, no change in temperature, still at 212 F. So going the other way, such as with a steam burn your skin must remove that same 1,000 BTU just to condense the steam before the temperature drops at all. So answer is not just the temperature but the huge amount of energy in the steam that holds that temperature. With water, by the time 100 BTU/lb are transferred to your body, water is down to 112 F, if you get hit with steam, your body must absorb 1,100 BTU/lb of steam before you get to that condition. Get it? 11-time more energy so a very much worse burn.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoSteam is a gas, whereas hot water is a liquid. Through studying Physics we know that gas particles contain a higher energy than liquid particles, which means the temperature of gas particles are higher than that of liquid particles. Even though the water may be hot, remember that only when water achieves its boiling point can it become steam, which means that the initial steam particles are already equal in temperature with the hot water particles. We know, as previously explained, that gas has a higher T than liquid, so we can decipher that the steam is hotter than the water.
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Why are steam burns on the skin so severe?
It is not really more. Steam is the gas form of water, and thus hotter than the liquid form. 1000C (at 1au at sea level) is the boiling point of water. 400C water will not burn you, but 990C will. Steam at 1010C will burn you, but steam at 5000C would burn worse. So your answer is steam is hotter, but how much more of a burn you get also has to do with the amount of steam or water you come in contact with, and the temperature the steam or water is.
Why does steam give you more burns that water?
steam is the gaseous transformation that takes place on heating water to its boiling point.Steam will give you more burn than the water boiling at 100 c as it has the latent heat of vapourisation in addition to the heat of fusion.Basically it has more heat content in the steam state than boiling water state.
Why is a steam burn worse than a hot water burn?
Because gases or vapours like steam are much poorer conductors than liquid water. The heat energy given to the skin area takes longer to dissipate (or go away), so the damage to your skin is greater.
Why steam causes more severe burns than boiling water?
Boiling water is by definition a temperature of 212 degrees F (100 degrees C), because it is moving through the phase change. Steam is water vapor and already past the phase change from liquid to gas and so can be a much higher temperature. The higher the temperature, the more severe the burn.
What cause more burns steam or boiling water?
Steam. Liquids turn to solids when they reach a temperature, so steam has to be hotter than boiling water.
Why is a steam burn worse then a water burn?
A steam burn is generally more severe than a water burn because steam carries more heat energy than water due to its high temperature. Steam can cause more damage to the skin upon contact and penetrate deeper into the tissue, resulting in a more serious burn.
Why are steam burns on the skin so severe?
It is not really more. Steam is the gas form of water, and thus hotter than the liquid form. 1000C (at 1au at sea level) is the boiling point of water. 400C water will not burn you, but 990C will. Steam at 1010C will burn you, but steam at 5000C would burn worse. So your answer is steam is hotter, but how much more of a burn you get also has to do with the amount of steam or water you come in contact with, and the temperature the steam or water is.
Why would a burn produced by 1 gram of steam do more damage than a burn caused by 1 gram of water?
Greater latent heat in steam due to phase change.
Why burn caused due to steam is more severe than the boiling water at same temperature?
steam causes severe burns because of change of state i.e. liquid to gas with effects our skin. where as boiling water is only liquid which is hot but it does not effect the skin more than water.Thus higher the temperature of steam as compared to water. cause more severe burns than boiling water
Why does steam give you more burns that water?
steam is the gaseous transformation that takes place on heating water to its boiling point.Steam will give you more burn than the water boiling at 100 c as it has the latent heat of vapourisation in addition to the heat of fusion.Basically it has more heat content in the steam state than boiling water state.
Why do we get a more severe burn from steam at 100 Degree Celsius than from an equal amount Of water at the same temperature?
In order to turn from water to steam, the liquid must absorb a large amount of energy. Even though they may be the same temperature, this extra energy means the steam can cause a more severe burn.
Why would Steam at 100 degree celsius burn worse than that of liquid water AT the same temperature?
As the steam comes in contact with the skin, it becomes water, and releases more energy (about 2188 joules per gram) on contact than water at the same temperature.
Why is a burn caused by a steam more severe than a burn caused by a boiling water if they have the same temperature?
Steam carries more energy than boiling water. When water is at its boiling point, it requires additional energy to boost it into a gaseous state. When the steam comes in contact with a cooler object and condense back to a liquid, it releases that energy as heat. If that object is human skin, that heat will cause a burn. - - - - - It would be very rare to have steam with the same temperature as boiling liquid water. The only way to keep water liquid past 100 degrees C is to put it under pressure. By contrast, once you have formed steam you can raise it to just about any temperature you want - there are many industrial processes that require steam at 600 degrees F. Hence, at least part of the reason burns from steam are more severe than burns from boiling water, is the steam is hotter.
Why steam takes up more space than liquid water?
why does steam take up more space than liquid water
Why does steam take up more space than liquid water?
why does steam take up more space than liquid water
Why is the latent heat of vapourization of steam is more than that of boiling water?
Because steam is hotter than boiling water.
Why is a steam burn worse than a hot water burn?
Because gases or vapours like steam are much poorer conductors than liquid water. The heat energy given to the skin area takes longer to dissipate (or go away), so the damage to your skin is greater.
