Answer to Question #244137 in General Chemistry for SNM

Question

With more families cooking from home, 3 engineers took it upon themselves to design pressure cookers to help speed up the cooking process of food. Pressure cookers are simple in theory—they use a clamped lid to trap boiling liquids (100C) and increase the internal pressure and temperature of the system. This allows food to be cooked faster and at higher temperatures. Importantly, pressure cookers come with a pressure gauge, to monitor pressure and a release valve if pressures increase too much. Make a claim about which scientist has developed the safest design. Support your claim with evidence from the figures and make references to Kinetic Molecular Theory and gas laws in your response.​

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Answer 1

The trapped steam increases the atmospheric Pressure inside the cooker by 15 pounds per square inch (psi), or 15 pounds above normal sea-level pressure . At that pressure , the boiling point of water is increased from 212°F to 250°F. This higher temperature is what cooks food faster.

The higher temperature of boiling water under pressure cooks the food faster . The tight lid holds pressurized water vapor above the water surface, inhibiting boiling. Water must boil at a higher temperature, increased boiling point.