Question

Water takes 10 minutes to boil on Earth. If the boiling point of water is lower on Mars, it would take textunderscoretextunderscoretextunderscoretextunderscoretextunderscoretextunderscore than 10 minutes.

• A. Less
• B. Same
• C. More
• D. Cannot boil properly

Hint:

High altitude (lower pressure) always leads to a lower boiling point. This is why pressure cookers are used in mountainous regions to increase the boiling temperature and cook food faster.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks about the feasibility and duration of boiling water on Mars, where atmospheric conditions differ significantly from Earth.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
On Mars, the atmospheric pressure is extremely low (about 0.6% of Earth's).
The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure equals the external pressure. Because the pressure on Mars is so low, water boils at a much lower temperature (close to (0^{circ}text{C} - 10^{circ}text{C})).
While water might technically "boil" quickly, it does not reach the high temperatures necessary for common tasks like cooking food or sterilizing. Additionally, at such low pressures, water tends to sublimate or evaporate almost instantly, making a stable boiling process as we know it on Earth impossible.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Due to the very low atmospheric pressure on Mars, water boils at a very low temperature, and thus it cannot boil properly for conventional purposes.