At what temperature (in degrees Celsius) does pure water boil at standard atmospheric pressure?

• A. 212
• B. 0
• C. 100
• D. 50

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure equals the external pressure. For pure water at standard atmospheric pressure (1 atm), this is a well-known physical property.
2. Recall that standard atmospheric pressure is defined as 1 atmosphere (atm), which is equivalent to 101.3 kPa or 760 mmHg.
3. Recognize that at 1 atm pressure, pure water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. This is a standard reference point in chemistry and thermodynamics.
4. If you were to calculate or verify this experimentally, you would measure the temperature at which water's vapor pressure reaches 1 atm, but for this problem, the known boiling point at standard pressure is sufficient.
5. Therefore, the temperature at which pure water boils at standard atmospheric pressure is 100 degrees Celsius.