Boiling point of a liquid can be increased by _________.

The correct answer is Increasing the pressure.

Key Points

• Increasing the pressure on a liquid can lead to an increase in its boiling point.
• This is because the added pressure increases the energy required for the liquid molecules to escape into the gas phase.
• At higher pressure, the molecules must work harder to break free from the liquid, which effectively increases the temperature at which the liquid will boil.
• This concept is applied in pressure cookers, where the high pressure inside the cooker increases the boiling point of water, allowing food to cook at higher temperatures and more quickly.

Additional Information

• Decreasing the pressure: Decreasing the pressure lowers the boiling point because there is less atmospheric pressure on the surface of the liquid, making it easier for molecules to escape into the gas phase.
• Purifying the liquid: Purifying a liquid, such as by removing dissolved salts or other impurities, can affect its boiling point. In the case of a solution, impurities typically raise the boiling point (boiling point elevation). Therefore, purifying the liquid might lower its boiling point rather than increasing it.
• Increasing the weight: The weight of a liquid in this context isn't directly related to its boiling point. The boiling point is more closely related to intermolecular forces and external pressure than to the mass of the liquid itself.