I meant to say it makes NO difference whether the water is on top of the submerged heating element, or the heating element is on top of the water, or a joule heater in the water, or -- for that matter -- a laser hitting the water, or a Hydrodynamics gadget that imparts the energy with ultrasound. It makes no difference how much energy the source imparts to the water. As long as the pressure remains at 1 atm and the molecules intact, the temperature remains just over 100 deg C. The molecules just leave the pot or tube in a bigger hurry, imparting more kinetic energy to the air molecules they hit.
- Jed
