# Water boils at 212°F. What is this equivalent to?

Mar 12, 2017

Water has a normal boiling point of $212$ ""^@F.....

#### Explanation:

By definition, the $\text{normal boiling point}$ is the temperature at which the vapour pressure of water is equal to the $1 \cdot a t m$, and bubbles of vapour form directly in the liquid. (Unless you are in Year 12 or are an undergraduate) you don't have to take this definition on board.

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, South America, have embraced the metric system. The States clings to old non-metric units (some of which are different from the old $\text{Imperial Units}$; for instance a $\text{US pint}$ is different to an $\text{Imperial Pint}$, and a $\text{US Gallon}$ is different to an $\text{Imperial Gallon}$).

So at one atmosphere, water has a boiling point of $212$ ""^@F; on the $\text{Celsius scale}$, this is $100$ ""^@C.

Note that some older (now retired or dead) profs that I knew used to hold that they preferred the $\text{Fahrenheit system}$, as they thought it easier to judge ambient temperatures. It is what you are brought up on I suppose.

At pressures lower than $1 \cdot a t m$ (say in Denver), how do you think the boiling point of water would evolve?