At average atmospheric pressure, the expansion ratio between water in its liquid form and steam is 1:1700. This means that under ideal conditions, 1 part of liquid water expands to 1700 times the volume as steam when boiled.
Generally, the expansion of water into steam depends greatly on temperature and atmospheric pressure. When water boils and turns from a liquid into a gas, the gaseous form fills a much larger area. Steam has been an important tool in years of human invention and has been used to power engines or cook food like vegetables or rice. It is most often used to remove wrinkles from clothing.
