When water turns to steam to extinguish a fire, what is the approximate expansion ratio?

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Multiple Choice

When water turns to steam to extinguish a fire, what is the approximate expansion ratio?

Explanation:
The key idea is how dramatically water expands when it becomes steam. When water at standard atmospheric pressure boils and turns to vapor, its volume increases about 1,700 times. That huge expansion, combined with the energy absorbed during vaporization, is what makes water effective at extinguishing fires: it cools the fuel surface and displaces heat and surrounding air as it vaporizes. The other numbers are far too small to represent this rapid, large-volume change, so the expansion ratio around 1,700 to 1 is the best fit.

The key idea is how dramatically water expands when it becomes steam. When water at standard atmospheric pressure boils and turns to vapor, its volume increases about 1,700 times. That huge expansion, combined with the energy absorbed during vaporization, is what makes water effective at extinguishing fires: it cools the fuel surface and displaces heat and surrounding air as it vaporizes. The other numbers are far too small to represent this rapid, large-volume change, so the expansion ratio around 1,700 to 1 is the best fit.

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