Steam is formed at 100°C but I see “steam” being produced at less than that temperature. What is that and why isn’t it steam?
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What’s special about 100° C?
At 100° C at sea level, the temperature of the water stops rising.
Instead, all the energy being pumped into the water gets used to convert that water to steam.
The water stays at 100° C until it is all turned to steam, and only then will the temperature begin rising again, up to over 2,000° C – – at which point it starts to break down (hydrolyze) into hydrogen and oxygen gases.
That’s why you can boil water over a campfire in a paper cup, and also why you can light a match with superheated steam.
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