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mediumQ. No. 15175-why-does-food-cook-faster-in-a-pressure-cooker

Why does food cook faster in a pressure cooker?

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APressure cooker uses microwave radiation
BIncreased pressure raises boiling point of water above 100°C
CPressure cooker reduces boiling point of water
DSteam acts as chemical catalyst inside
Correct Answer: Increased pressure raises boiling point of water above 100°CYour Answer: B

Explanation

Pressure cooker is a brilliant application of pressure-boiling point relationship. Option A is wrong — microwave radiation is used by microwave ovens not pressure cookers. Pressure cookers use conventional stove heating with steam pressure. At standard pressure (1 atm) water boils at 100°C. This raises the boiling point to about 120-125°C. At this higher temperature food cooks 2-3 times faster because chemical reactions (protein denaturation starch gelatinization) in food occur much faster at higher temperatures. Option C is wrong — reducing boiling point makes water boil at LOWER temperature which would slow cooking. Everest water boils at ~70°C) making cooking slower. Option D is wrong — steam is not a chemical catalyst. Steam transfers heat efficiently but plays no catalytic role.

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