Why does a pressure cooker cook faster?
Gas laws connect pressure, volume, temperature and amount of substance. The ideal-gas equation PV = nRT is a powerful model whose accuracy depends on conditions.
The short answer
Gas laws connect pressure, volume, temperature and amount of substance. The ideal-gas equation PV = nRT is a powerful model whose accuracy depends on conditions.
What is really happening?
Gas laws connect pressure, volume, temperature and amount of substance. The ideal-gas equation PV = nRT is a powerful model whose accuracy depends on conditions.
Real gases approach ideal behaviour most closely when intermolecular effects and molecular volume are relatively unimportant.
Enthalpy is a thermodynamic state function. At constant pressure, under the usual conditions for pressure-volume work, its change is especially useful for discussing heat transferred.
A useful mental picture
Higher pressure raises water's boiling temperature. Food can therefore cook in liquid water and steam at a temperature above the usual boiling point at standard atmospheric pressure.