In a vacuum of 28 inches of mercury, at what temperature will water begin to vaporize?

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Multiple Choice

In a vacuum of 28 inches of mercury, at what temperature will water begin to vaporize?

Explanation:
Water boils when the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the surrounding pressure. In a vacuum, the surrounding pressure is much lower than at sea level, so the liquid will begin to vaporize at a temperature well below the normal 212°F boiling point. An ambient pressure of about 28 inches of mercury is a reduced pressure, and for this question it’s treated as the condition where water starts to vaporize around 100°F. Among the given options, this is the temperature that best reflects the idea that boiling begins at a much lower temperature under reduced pressure. The other temperatures correspond to freezing, very cold conditions, or are simply higher and not the onset point under this vacuum.

Water boils when the vapor pressure of the liquid equals the surrounding pressure. In a vacuum, the surrounding pressure is much lower than at sea level, so the liquid will begin to vaporize at a temperature well below the normal 212°F boiling point. An ambient pressure of about 28 inches of mercury is a reduced pressure, and for this question it’s treated as the condition where water starts to vaporize around 100°F. Among the given options, this is the temperature that best reflects the idea that boiling begins at a much lower temperature under reduced pressure. The other temperatures correspond to freezing, very cold conditions, or are simply higher and not the onset point under this vacuum.

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