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Thread: Microwaving water

  1. #1
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    Microwaving water

    Currently doing the rounds at work:

    Microwaving Water!

    A 26-year old man decided to have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil.. When the timer shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup, he noted that the! Water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup 'blew up' into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build-up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.


    He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye. While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc... (nothing metal).


    General Electric's Response:

    Thanks for contacting us, I will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put into it.


    To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! Before moving it or adding anything into it.


    Here is what our local science teacher had to say on the matter:


    'Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup).

    What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil, and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.


    What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when opened after having been shaken.'


    Personally, I would have found a kettle more convenient.
    ... unicorns are busiest at three o'clock in the morning.

    [COLOR=blue][I]"It is one of life's tragedies that men become what they oppose."[/I] Dr A Guirdham

    [/COLOR][COLOR=#b22222][I]"My glass always tends to be not just half-empty, but cracked with my ale seeping off the table and into my shoes..."[/I] Lydia Hislop[/COLOR]

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    Senior Member Aldaniti's Avatar
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    Yes learnt this a while back, I used to heat milk in the MW & found when I added the syrup or spoon afterwards the milk would bubble up & come out of the mug

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    I can understand heating up a cold cup of tea in the microwave, but just the water?

    Especially if you're going to put it in for over 2 minutes.

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    Senior Member krizon's Avatar
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    Dunno what happened, but I was microwaving fresh salmon in a covered dish tonight and there was the most almighty BANG!! and the lid was displaced, shooting salmon flakes all round the microwave. Fortunately, most of it was still inside the container and deliciously edible, but what the heck?!
    Power is good. Control is better. (Lenin)

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    Senior Member Grasshopper's Avatar
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    A mate of mine once cleared a building after microwaving a meat pie..........and the metal tray it came in.
    "Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".

    SlimChance, March 2018

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    Senior Member krizon's Avatar
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    Nice one! Did it blow the micro to pieces? I've heard that if you put metal in, it pretty much blows up like a grenade.
    Power is good. Control is better. (Lenin)

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    Yow!

    A few years ago I worked with a guy who cooked a meal to impress a girl and the dish with the cottage pie in it blew up in his face. He was terribly scalded and scarred and was very lucky not to lose an eye.

    One reason why all my trivets are cloth or wood, won't have a metal one
    ... unicorns are busiest at three o'clock in the morning.

    [COLOR=blue][I]"It is one of life's tragedies that men become what they oppose."[/I] Dr A Guirdham

    [/COLOR][COLOR=#b22222][I]"My glass always tends to be not just half-empty, but cracked with my ale seeping off the table and into my shoes..."[/I] Lydia Hislop[/COLOR]

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    Senior Member Grasshopper's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by krizon View Post
    Nice one! Did it blow the micro to pieces? I've heard that if you put metal in, it pretty much blows up like a grenade.
    All I know is that he started it off and went to the bathroom.....only for the fire alarm to go off whilst he was in there. The nearest fire exit took him back past the canteen, where he noticed smoke belching from the microwave.

    Our hero was somewhat circumspect when he was fingered as the culprit....due mainly to the dozen or so firefighters falling about laughing as he fessed-up.
    Last edited by Grasshopper; 11th August 2010 at 3:51 PM.
    "Beat the price and lose. It's what we do".

    SlimChance, March 2018

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