Boiling Point of Water
Water boils at about 100 °C (212 °F) at standard atmospheric pressure. The boiling point is the temperature at which the vapor pressure is equal to the atmospheric pressure around the water. Because of this, the boiling point of water is lower at lower pressure and higher at higher pressure. This is why cooking at elevations more than 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above sea level requires adjustments to recipes. A rough approximation of elevation can be obtained by measuring the temperature at which water boils; in the mid-19th century, this method was used by explorers.
Read more about this topic: Atmospheric Pressure
Famous quotes containing the words boiling, point and/or water:
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That nearer, every Day,
Kept narrowing its boiling Wheel”
—Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)