• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / Science / How Does the Boiling Temperature of Water Depend On the Weather?

How Does the Boiling Temperature of Water Depend On the Weather?

July 2, 2020 by Karen Hill

The weather has only a small effect on the boiling temperature of water.

When people go around saying that water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) at sea level, they’re speaking rather loosely. The standard definition of the boiling temperature of pure water says nothing about sea level.

It is defined in terms of a specific atmospheric pressure 29.92 inches (760 millimeters) of mercury, which is a typical, but hardly guaranteed, value for sea-level locations. Every TV weather fan knows that the air pressure changes as the weather changes, whether you live by the seaside or anywhere else. So the temperature of boiling water will indeed depend on whatever the weather conditions happen to be at the time.

Quite arbitrarily, scientists have chosen exactly 760 millimeters of mercury as the standard pressure they call one atmosphere. (That strange-looking number, 29.92 inches of mercury, is simply a quirk of conversion from millimeters to inches: 25.4 millimeters per inch.) The boiling temperature at that standard pressure is called the normal boiling temperature or the normal boiling point. That’s what 212 degrees Fahrenheit or 100 degrees Celsius really is.

While knowing these facts might impress your friends, the effect of atmospheric pressure on the boiling temperature of water isn’t big enough to worry about.

Even if you were brewing a cup of tea while sitting smack in the eye of a hurricane, where the pressure might drop as low as 28 inches or 710 millimeters of mercury (the world’s record low is 25.9 inches or 658 millimeters), the boiling temperature would only go down to 208 degrees Fahrenheit (98 degrees Celsius).

It’s comforting to know that your tea would still be hot enough.

Related Facts

  • Why Is Boiling Water In the Microwave Dangerous and How Does Superheated Water In the Microwave Explode?
  • Why does Water Boil and Can Water Get Hotter Than the Boiling Point?
  • How far ahead can weather forecasters predict the weather reliably?
  • What is the Best Water Temperature for making Coffee and Tea and Can water overheat?
  • Why Does a Glass Break When You Pour Boiling Water in It?
  • Does boiling water kill all germs, bacteria and viruses?
  • How does adding salt to the water before boiling eggs prevent the eggshells from cracking?
  • How do Bacteria Survive in Boiling Water and Does making Soup kill all the Bacteria in the Stock?
  • Why does Adding Salt to Boiling Water Make it Hotter?
  • What Is Gnocchi, Where Did Gnocchi Come From, and Why Do Italian Potato Dumplings Sink In Boiling Water?
  • What is the Difference Between Simmering and Boiling Water?
  • Why Are the Freezing and Boiling Temperatures of Water At 32 and 212 Degrees Fahrenheit?

Filed Under: Science

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Why Does It Take a Longer Time For Water To Boil At Higher Altitudes?
Next Post: What Makes Ice So Slippery? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy