When water is converted to steam, it expands approximately how many times?

When water is converted into steam, it undergoes a phase change that results in significant expansion. The correct approximation indicates that water expands about 1600 times its original volume when it turns into steam at atmospheric pressure. This substantial increase in volume is due to the difference in density between liquid water and steam.

Liquid water consists of closely packed molecules, while steam has much more space between the molecules, owing to increased kinetic energy that causes them to move further apart. This concept is critical in understanding steam generation and its applications in processes like power generation, where steam is utilized to drive turbines effectively.

The other options vastly overestimate the degree of expansion or misrepresent the physical properties associated with the conversion of water to steam. Hence, 1600 times is recognized as the accepted and accurate figure for this transformation in typical circumstances.