Which of the following best explains why a person suffers a more severe burn when his skin is exposed to steam than when boiling water pours on his skin?

Which of the following best explains why a person suffers a more severe burn when his skin is exposed to steam than when boiling water pours on his skin?

Answer Details

The correct option that explains why a person suffers a more severe burn when his skin is exposed to steam than when boiling water pours on his skin is: - Steam possesses greater heat energy per unit mass than boiling water. When a person's skin is exposed to steam, the steam condenses on the skin and releases its latent heat of vaporization, which is much higher than the specific heat capacity of boiling water. This means that steam possesses greater heat energy per unit mass than boiling water. Therefore, when a person's skin is exposed to steam, more heat energy is transferred to the skin in a shorter time, causing more severe burns than boiling water. Additionally, steam has the ability to spread more easily over a wider area of the skin than boiling water, increasing the likelihood of more severe burns.