Water as ice has cooling effect, whereas water as steam may cause severe burns. Explain theseobservations
Question
Water as ice has cooling effect, whereas water as steam may cause severe burns. Explain these observations.
Solution
-
State of Water: Water can exist in three states - solid (ice), liquid (water), and gas (steam). The state of water changes with temperature.
-
Ice and Cooling Effect: When water freezes into ice, it absorbs heat from the surroundings, causing a cooling effect. This is due to the endothermic process of freezing, where energy (in the form of heat) is taken from the surroundings to change the state of water from liquid to solid. This is why ice feels cold to the touch.
-
Steam and Burns: On the other hand, when water turns into steam, it releases a large amount of heat. This is due to the exothermic process of boiling, where energy (in the form of heat) is released to the surroundings to change the state of water from liquid to gas. The heat released is enough to cause severe burns, which is why steam can be dangerous.
-
Heat Transfer: The difference in the effects of ice and steam on our skin is due to the direction of heat transfer. With ice, heat is transferred from our skin to the ice (making our skin feel cold), while with steam, heat is transferred from the steam to our skin (causing burns).
-
Temperature: Another factor is the temperature of ice and steam. Ice is at or below the freezing point of water (0°C or 32°F), while steam is at or above the boiling point of water (100°C or 212°F). The high temperature of steam can cause severe burns.
Similar Questions
When steam from a kettle makes contact with a cold window, water droplets form. What change of state is this?evaporatingmeltingfreezingcondensing
What are the different types of burns and how would the depth and size of the burn affect the healing process?
Why does ice float in liquid water?
Select the two options that complete the following sentence. As the ice was heated, the particles within it: gained energylost energyvibrated morevibrated less
Steam is at 18.5 bar and 432 0c, with reasons state the conditions of the steam anddetermine the specific volume and enthalpy of the steam
Upgrade your grade with Knowee
Get personalized homework help. Review tough concepts in more detail, or go deeper into your topic by exploring other relevant questions.