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The boiling point of water gets lower as you go up in altitude. At beach level, water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. But at 5,000 feet, about where Denver is located, water boils at 202.9 degrees F, and up at 10,000 feet it boils at 193.7 degrees F. This is because as the altitude gets higher, the air pressure (the weight of all that air above you) becomes less. Since there is less pressure pushing on a pot of water at a higher altitude, it is easier for the water molecules to break their bonds and attraction to each other and, thus, it boils more easily.

For more scientific water ideas, education and fun visit http://www.usgs.gov/education/
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