Editing Boiling (section)

{{short description|Physical process}}
[[Image:Boilingkettle.jpg|thumb|right|Rolling boil of water in an electric kettle]]
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}

'''Boiling''' or '''ebullition''' is the rapid [[phase transition]] from [[liquid]] to [[gas]] or [[vapor|vapour]]; the reverse of boiling is [[condensation]]. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its [[boiling point]], so that the [[vapour pressure]] of the liquid is equal to the pressure exerted on the liquid by the [[Standard atmosphere (unit)|surrounding atmosphere]]. Boiling and [[evaporation]] are the two main forms of liquid [[vapourization]].

There are two main types of boiling: [[nucleate boiling]], where small bubbles of vapour form at discrete points; and [[critical heat flux]] boiling, where the boiling surface is heated above a certain critical temperature and a film of vapour forms on the surface. [[Transition boiling]] is an intermediate, unstable form of boiling with elements of both types. The boiling point of water is 100&nbsp;°C or 212&nbsp;°F but is lower with the decreased atmospheric pressure found at higher altitudes.

Boiling water is used as a method of making it potable by killing [[Microorganism|microbes]] and [[Virus|viruses]] that may be present. The sensitivity of different micro-organisms to heat varies, but if water is held at {{convert|100|C}} for one minute, most micro-organisms and viruses are inactivated. Ten minutes at a temperature of 70&nbsp;°C (158&nbsp;°F) is also sufficient to inactivate most [[bacteria]].<ref>{{cite report |access-date = 2023-05-16 |publisher = World Health Organization |url=https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-FWC-WSH-15.02 |title=Boil Water - Technical Brief WHO/FWC/WSH/15.02}}</ref>

Boiling water is also used in several [[cooking]] methods including boiling, [[Blanching (cooking)|blanching]], [[steaming]], and [[Poaching (cooking)|poaching]].