🔬 Science & TechnologyUPSC 2001Space & Space Technology

Assertion (A): The boiling point of water decreases as the altitude increases. Reason (R): The atmospheric pressure increases with altitude.Codes:

aBoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
bBoth A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
cA is true but R is false
dA is false but R is true
✓ Correct answer: c) A is true but R is false
ExplanationThe boiling point of a substance is the temperature at which its vapour pressure equals the external atmospheric pressure, causing it to change from a liquid to a gas.Assertion (A) is true: The boiling point of water decreases with increasing altitude because atmospheric pressure decreases at higher altitudes.At lower pressure the water molecules require less energy to escape into the vapor phase, so water boils at a lower temperature.For example, at sea level, water boils at 100°C, but at higher altitudes, it can boil at temperatures as low as 90°C or even lower.UPSC GS Paper-I PYQs 590 Reason (R) is false: Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing altitude.As you go higher in the atmosphere, the air becomes less dense, and the pressure exerted by the atmosphere decreases.This is why mountaintops have lower atmospheric pressure compared to sea level.248

Practice more Science PYQs

Attempt a free 10-question quiz or browse the full Science & Technology previous-year-question bank with instant answers and explanations.

🔬 Science PYQs →