Why are the burns caused by steam more severe than those caused by boiling water?
Both steam and the boiling water are at the same temperature of 100°C but still the burns caused by steam are more severe because it contains more latent heat than boiling water. When water changes into steam it absorbs a latent heat equal to 540 Kcal/kg to and when it condenses on the skin to produce water this heat is released. Since it gives out more heat than boiling water, it causes more severe burns.
