Which one is hotter.

[Conundrum]

So, Melissa Therieau=A gazillion BTUs?

I thought so.

[Steven S. Dallas]

The BTU is to England as Therieau is to the Padded Room.

There's your liberal arts skillz right there.

[bio-smear]

Ha...
I was looking for the magic "BTU" word

How do you pronounce that? And would you have accepted 'calorie', or 'therm'?

[Danno]

Temperature is a unit of measurement. They are the same.

It's like asking, "Which is heavier, a lbs of rocks or a lbs of feathers?"

ding ding ding!

[TeleHoar]

Yes Steven You had it right from the beggining!

Is Melissa British?
I would love to see her thermal unit!

[Danno]

Ha...
Some great answers.

I was looking for the magic "BTU" word

Steam and boiling water are the same temperature. (Steam can be superheated -true)

But steam has changed state requiring the addition of an exponential amount of BTU's to change the water to steam.

Steam contains a buttload more BTUs than boiling water and would be considered hotter.

Buttload is indeed a scientific word.

carry on

not necessarily, that doesn't make steam hotter. You didn't ask about BTUs. The very first definition of "hot" on dictionary.com is "having or giving off heat; having a high temperature". Thus, the definition of hotter would be giving off more heat (in which case perhaps your answer is right) or would be "having a higher temperature" in which case your answer is most certainly wrong.

Gotta define your terms first.

I would just like to add, preemptively, for lemon boy:

Lawyers!

[WWCD]

WAHOO!

I got one right.

[birdman829]

ooooooo boy. 10th grade chemistry

[Tectonically_Neglected]

'Hot' = temperature.

Both steam and water can be of the same temperature, i.e. 212F (I am assuming this is the boiling point of water?).

However assuming similar air pressure due to the phase transition, 1 kg of steam of 212 F contains more energy than 1kg of water of 212F.

[Crass3000]

Fo real-

the steam is hotter because it contains more thermal energy. It takes more energy to turn the water into steam than it does simply to bring the water to a boil. The thermal energy produced during the conversion of water to steam remains in the steam, so it is "hotter."

I'm probably wrong, though, I only remember that from conceptual physics in 9th grade. Or was it home ec?

I think Steve is right here. While both are at 212F, the steam has gained enough energy to surpass the "heat of vaporization" or something like that.

[Crass3000]

not necessarily, that doesn't make steam hotter. You didn't ask about BTUs. The very first definition of "hot" on dictionary.com is "having or giving off heat; having a high temperature". Thus, the definition of hotter would be giving off more heat (in which case perhaps your answer is right) or would be "having a higher temperature" in which case your answer is most certainly wrong.

In scientific terms you can't measure temperature, you can only measure energy. When using a thermometer you are actually measuring energy. I know its a pretty anal difference but thats what somebody in thermodynamics or some other science class would tell you.

[house]

the steam is the same temperature but it contains more heat energy than the liquid water. this extra heat is "latent heat of vaporization."

i think. physics and chem 101 were a while ago, but i'm pretty sure that's right.

[PearlJam09]

The plane does take off.

[Tye 1on]

hotter. Steamier even. Conundrum got it right...again.