Cooperative Personnel Services Firefighter (CPS) Practice Exam 2025 - Free Firefighter Exam Questions and Study Guide

In the context of a Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion (BLEVE), the stored energy of a hot liquid is primarily transformed into work as the liquid rapidly expands to vapor. When a pressurized liquid is heated beyond its boiling point, it retains energy in the form of pressure. If the container fails—due to structural failure or being compromised—the sudden drop in pressure allows the liquid to expand explosively into vapor.

This rapid transition happens because the hot liquid, upon sudden release of pressure, converts its thermal energy into kinetic energy, resulting in an explosion as it expands. The work produced in this scenario is due to the significant volume change as the liquid turns into gas. This transformation can be extremely violent and is what makes BLEVE incidents particularly hazardous.

While other options describe the possible outcomes of a BLEVE, they do not accurately represent the primary process occurring with the stored energy. For instance, while some heat may dissipate into the atmosphere or contribute to shockwaves, the fundamental transformation of energy during a BLEVE incident is the expansion of the liquid into vapor, leading to an explosive release of energy.