Which burns more steam or flame?

Answer 1

Steam. Because there are different temps to steam. Also, the condensate of the steam will also burn.

Answer 2

Interesting answers

The truth is that, once you get water vapor hot enouogh, you can run the pressure up (subject to real-world engineering limitations ) until it's density is many times that of liquid water (and you're *waaaaayyyyy* out to the right of the triple point). This is what's refered to as 'live' steam. Steam that has a mass greater than
1 kg/L. And (except for real-world engineering constraints) there's no real upper bound on how hot you can get it.

Most commercial steam turbines run at around 1200 to 1500 F and inlet pressures of 1000 to 1200 psi. Make the conversions to metric and do the calculation(s) (it's still PV = nrt) and multiply the number of moles of water vapor by 18g/mole and you'll be *real* surprised by the density.

Live steam can do a *helluva* lot more damage than a simple flame.


Doug

Answer 3

steam deceptively releases a lot of heat - called latent heat - specially if the steam is super heated. Flame temperature depends on what is burning e.g. laboratory spirit lamps burn at a very low temperature. (I once spilled spirit from a lit spirit lamp onto my hand and the spirit ignited. I felt no pain even though I could see flames on my hand. I was none the worse for this experiment!!). Other flames have higher temperatures, so don't try this experiment with them.

Answer 4

To add to the comments of others there can be a lot of kinetic as well as heat energy in a high pressure steam leak (thinking here of power plants). In addition the steam may not be visible until the jet slows down a long way from the leak. I have heard of a case of a man who had his arm cut off before he even realised what was happening.

Answer 5

It depends on the flame, but generally its steam.

This is because steam condenses onto your skin. The energy released by condensing the steam is about the same as the energy it took to heat the water from room temperature to boiling point - ie lots.

Answer 6

Steam.

Answer 7

Depends on what flame.

If normal flame that we see, carbon combustion then the flame.

If the flame that fire eaters uses, then steam burns more.

Diff flames have different temperatures.

Answer 8

Flame.. steam comes from boiling liquids such as water through a process called evaporation while flame is a gaseous substance that causes fire when ignited.

Answer 9

hmm a flame I think.... steam is slow and painful

Answer 10

steam gives u more pain and more time to heal