Question

Explain why burns caused by steam at 100°C on the skin are often more severe than burns caused by water at 100°C.

Short answer

The burns caused by steam at 100°C on the skin are often more severe than the burns caused by water at 100°C because the thermal energy of steam at 100°C is higher than that of water at 100°C.

Step-by-step solution

Understating latent heat of vaporization

The latent heat of vaporization is the heat energy needed to cause a substance to boil at a constant temperature.

Explanation for why burns caused by steam at 100°C on the skin are often more severe than the burns caused by water at 100°C

The heat of vaporization for water is larger than that of steam. Therefore, steam at 100°C has higher thermal energy than water at 100°C. When steam affects the skin, it condenses and releases a huge amount of energy. This leads to severe burns.

When water at 100°Caffects the skin, it starts to cool. In this case, more energy is released, which can cause more severe burns.