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Why is it possible to put your hand in boiling oil without getting burned?
Information
Video published by Physics Girl
In this Physics Girl video, Dianna Cowern explains the scientific phenomenon that shows why, under certain conditions, it is possible not to get burned.
The principle is the same as when you put water on a really, really hot pan. If the temperature is high enough, the water no longer touches the surface at all, because the heat difference creates a layer of air that supports the water droplet more strongly than gravity. The liquid then behaves as if it were on a hydrophobic surface.
This is called the Leidenfrost effect.
So if the boiling oil is really, really hot, and a hand dipped into it is wet enough, the phenomenon will be identical. When the hand is in the oil, the water will create a protective layer of air separating the skin from the oil.
That is why we can hear some stories about people who put their hand in oil without getting burned.
Why is it possible to put your hand in boiling oil without getting burned?
Information
Video published by Physics Girl
In this Physics Girl video, Dianna Cowern explains the scientific phenomenon that shows why, under certain conditions, it is possible not to get burned.
The principle is the same as when you put water on a really, really hot pan. If the temperature is high enough, the water no longer touches the surface at all, because the heat difference creates a layer of air that supports the water droplet more strongly than gravity. The liquid then behaves as if it were on a hydrophobic surface.
This is called the Leidenfrost effect.
So if the boiling oil is really, really hot, and a hand dipped into it is wet enough, the phenomenon will be identical. When the hand is in the oil, the water will create a protective layer of air separating the skin from the oil.
That is why we can hear some stories about people who put their hand in oil without getting burned.
Why is it possible to put your hand in boiling oil without getting burned?
Information
Video published by Physics Girl
In this Physics Girl video, Dianna Cowern explains the scientific phenomenon that shows why, under certain conditions, it is possible not to get burned.
The principle is the same as when you put water on a really, really hot pan. If the temperature is high enough, the water no longer touches the surface at all, because the heat difference creates a layer of air that supports the water droplet more strongly than gravity. The liquid then behaves as if it were on a hydrophobic surface.
This is called the Leidenfrost effect.
So if the boiling oil is really, really hot, and a hand dipped into it is wet enough, the phenomenon will be identical. When the hand is in the oil, the water will create a protective layer of air separating the skin from the oil.
That is why we can hear some stories about people who put their hand in oil without getting burned.
