Say you have a pot of water that you want to boil. If you have a pot started on flat land ....on the middle of a hillside ...and one more on top of a mountain....which pot will reach the boiling point first?
2006-11-19 22:43:24 · 4 answers · asked by Lunchmeat 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The temperature at which water boils decreases with altitude. This is because air pressure decreases with altitude, and the boiling point decreases as the pressure decreases. In more extreme cases, (which don't occur naturally on planet Earth), the water doesn't boil, it denatures, that is it goes straight from ice to vapour, without going through the liquid state (water) at all. This is why there is no running water on Mars, where the atmosphere is too thin to allow water to exist as a liquid.
So, all things being equal, and assuming that the water was at the same temperature when you started to heat it, it would boil fastest on the top of a mountain.
2006-11-19 22:52:18 · answer #1 · answered by Spell Check! 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both these answers are correct to some extent. However, the reduced pressure also means reduced oxygen and a flame based heater won't be as efficient. This could mean that it actually takes longer to boil at the top of a mountain even though the boiling point is less.
2006-11-19 23:46:10 · answer #2 · answered by amania_r 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The boiling temperature of water does increase with pressure. So, greatest atmospheric pressure is present at sea level (I presume this is what you mean by flat land) and least at a mountain top. So, a pot of water would boil fastest atop a mountain.
2006-11-19 22:50:45 · answer #3 · answered by josh b 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Water boils at the same time as that's vapour stress equals atmospheric stress. If the stress above the water is less than the atmospheric stress got here upon at sea element then the water will boil at a temperature less than 100 Deg C. this signifies that you don't want to position in as a lot warmth potential with a view to carry the water to boil and this also signifies that the nice and comfy temperature content fabric of the water in step with unit mass is likewise a lot less. for this reason, the nutrition will take longer to set up dinner. surely, in case you get severe adequate, the temperature of the water ought to boil at one of those low temperature that you received't be able to set up dinner the nutrition in any respect; no longer even hen and mushroom KP pot noodles!
2016-10-16 09:47:01 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋