How do you get water to 400 oC?
Easy, you superheat it …..
This image is kindly reproduced according to the license at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steam_Phase_eruption_of_Castle_geyser_with_double_rainbow.jpg and is attributed to Mbz1 at en.wikipedia
Superheated water is found naturally on the earth in underground water supplies – we see it coming to the surface as a geyser. It is also found in man made phenomena such as power stations.
But how is it superheated?
The key ingredient is Pressure. The pressure stops the water boiling and keeps it liquid – if the pressure is reduced (such as the geyser rushing out of the earths crust) it will boil and cool down.
Tags: 400 oc, Chemistry, geyser, H2O, Higher, HL, IB, level, pressure, SL, Standard, steam, superheated, water
