Is it easier to cook potatoes in water at low altitudes or high altitudes? Explain?

Question

Its a chemistry question..

Answer 1

Because water boils at lower temperatures with altitude, it may be easier to get the water to boil but take longer for the potatoes to cook, since the cooking is done at a lower temperature at altitude. However if you cook them over fire then it makes no difference whether you are at sea level or at 14000 feet. They will cook in the same amount of time.

Answer 2

this is the answer that your teacher wants:

low altitudes, because the higher the altitude, the lower the boiling point of a substance because there is less pressure on the liquid making it easier to the gas to escape.

here is the real answer that you should not put down otherwise you will get it wrong: it doesn't matter. true the water will boil faster in a high altitude, but it is still at the same temperature as water heated for an equal amount of time in a lower altitude, the water boiling is an indicater of the temperature not actually a factor in cooking. so the water at a low altitude and a high altitude would be at the same temperature even though one is boiling. assuming you don't lose too much water form the high altitude boiling, there should not really be a difference in cooking time.

Answer 3

I'd say It's easier on the presurized pot... don't know how to call it in english, but it is a pot that closes hermetically, and it is a lot faster to cook on 'em, due to accumulated pressure, wich allows the temperature inside the pot to increase WITHOUT making the water boil. So, it IS easier to BOIL water at high altitudes, but it is MUCH easier to cook potatoes at LOW ALTITUDES (because a low altitude means low pressure, hotter non-boiling water) and reduction on the energy "leak".

Answer 4

Easier to cook at low altitude than that at high altitude.
At low altitude, water boiling point is higher >> getting higher temperature >> need less time to cook >> easier to cook.

Answer 5

At low altitudes.

As you gain altitude the air pressure drops, the result of which is that the boiling point of water also drops. On the summit of Everest water boils at 61 degrees C (if I remember rightly).

I do a lot of mountain climbing and up to about 3000 metres altitude the effect isn't really noticable but beyond 3000 metres allowance needs to be made for the lower boiling point of water.

Answer 6

low altitude. i will tell you why. if you put a pan of potatoes setting right on the open flame, they cook pretty good right? what happens if you life the same pan of potatoes off that flame & lift it an arms lenght above the flame? they dont even get hot, right? theres your answere. you cant cook potatoes in high altitude!

Answer 7

Low. Recipes always say to add time in higher elevations.