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Expert: George Maxwell - 7/11/2007


Question
If I boil a litre of water completely, how much room would it take up?

Answer
Hi,

Thanks for your question. At atmospheric pressure, the expansion ratio between Liquid water and Steam is about 1:1700, so 1 litre of liquid water will produce about 1700 litres of steam when it is boiled.

Again, at atmospheric pressure, 1700 litres of steam would fill a barrel that was 1.76 metres high and 1.2 metres in diameter (or 5'9" high and 4' in diameter).

I hope this helps, but please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any more information.

Thanks again for your question.

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Volunteer

George Maxwell

Expertise

I am happy to answer any educational, general and industrial chemistry questions, although I specialise in organic chemistry.

Experience

I am a qualified chemist, and work as a consultant in the chemical industry. I also teach chemistry in a number of sixth-form colleges, and work for the fire brigade, advising on dealing with chemical incidents.

Organizations
GSMChem Consultancy.

Publications
Journal of Chemical Education National Higher Education Academy Plus independent book publications.

Education/Credentials
BSc Chemistry (York, UK) PhD Chemistry (NYU)

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