Pressure cookers enable chefs to cook food quicker but allowing water to remain a liquid at a temperature above its boiling point. Why does water exist as a liquid above its boiling point under these conditions?

Question

anonymous · Answer

THe basic difference between water in its liquid state and water in its gaseous state is that the particles are further apart and spread out in a gas. 
Under conditions with normal pressure, the high temperature would cause the water particles to speed up and spread out. This causes evaporation. However, when the pressure is very high, as it is in a pressure cooker due to the fact that it is sealed, the particles can not spread out. This means that the particles are forced to remain close to each other making the substance maintain a liquid state.