The density of steam is __________________________ the density of liquid water.

The density of steam is significantly lower than the density of liquid water. This disparity is primarily due to the differences in molecular arrangement and interactions in the two states of matter.

In liquid water, molecules are closely packed together, which results in a higher density (approximately 1000 kg/m³ at 4°C). However, in steam, water molecules are in a gaseous state, meaning they are far apart from one another and move freely, causing the density to decrease dramatically (about 0.6 kg/m³ at 100°C).

This difference in density demonstrates the principle that gases are less dense than their liquid counterparts under similar conditions, mainly because of increased molecular distance and less intermolecular attraction in gases compared to liquids. Thus, steam is lighter and occupies a much larger volume than the same mass of liquid water.