Question

Water as ice has a cooling effect, whereas water as steam may cause severe burns. Explain these observations.

Answer 1

Water:

• Water is the form of matter that exists in all three forms i.e. solid, liquid, and gas.
• Water as ice is a solid form of water while steam is a gaseous or vapor form of water.

Water as ice or steam:

• Water turns into ice when the temperature decreases to$0°\mathrm{C}$ and when heat is supplied to water, it turns into steam at $100°\mathrm{C}$.
• In the case of ice, the molecules have lower energy. Thus, when the ice comes in contact with the skin, the water molecules will absorb energy as a result it shows a cooling effect.
• While in the case of steam the water molecules have higher energy. Thus, this high energy of molecules is transformed into heat and causes burns.