posted 05-07-2002 12:17 PM         

"I was very glad to get this email from a friend, because I have been guilty of heating water in a microwave many times. You'll be glad you read it. I also suggest passing it along to friends and family.

About five days ago, my 26-year-old son decided to have a cup of instant 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 told me 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. Then instantly 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 buildup of energy.

His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face, which may leave scarring. He may also 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 such as a wooden stir stick or a tea bag should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy.

Here is what our science teacher has 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 any time water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in is new. 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 that 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."

posted 05-07-2002 01:50 PM         

I never heat water in the microwave without first placing a chop stick in the cup.

posted 05-08-2002 05:50 AM         

Good info. I learned about this back when microwaves first came out. We used to try everything in the microwave to see what would happen. Same thing happened to a friend of mine but he was lucky and it didn't get him in the face.

I hope the young man is alright, the scars are treatable and he doesn't lose any sight in his eye.

Howard

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00' Silver Prowler
93 Viper RT/10
96 Ram 1500
95 Chrysler LHS
96 Neon
93 Miata

posted 05-08-2002 08:28 AM         

"In a nutshell, yes, water can "explode" in this fashion. However, it takes near perfect conditions to bring this about, thus "exploding water" is not something the average hot beverage drinker who would otherwise now be eyeing his microwave with trepidation need fear. Odds are, you'll go through life without ever viewing this phenomenon first-hand, and if you're one of the rare few who does get to see it, you will likely not be harmed by the experience (that would take you standing right over the cup at the instant it happens and the liquid bolting up and hitting your skin).

The e-mailed warning is a model of non-specificity (no names, date, or locale; only the detail that the "victim" was 26 years old, presumably to enforce the idea that this accident could not be blamed on a child's typical lack of caution), leaving us able to address only its theoretical aspects. Unfortunately, our eyes glaze over whenever we have to write about science topics, so we'll just note that a bunch of other science-type people think it's plausible, although the phenomenon isn't nearly as common as the message cited above might make it sound."

posted 05-08-2002 11:36 PM         

I am an old man and lately, some of the posts on this board have been really unusual. If I were a new person seeing them for the first time what would my impressions be?

With all of the consternation that has been a part of the board lately I find your post refreshing as it is helpful in nature.

In any case, concerning your post, I appreciate the warning. I have never heard it and I have been using microwaves ever since they were first introduced.

I sent your post on to Dew Drop and she passed it on to my daughter who also had never heard it. As usual, your words of advice are insightful. Thanks again.

I gotta run as my "American Classic Hangaburger" is ready to be microwaved and I am building up a powerful hunger just thinking about it.

I am gonna put a tooth pick in it so it will not explode as I think that it is made of mostly water. Hope the toothpick doesn’t kill me as I sometimes, at my age, I get a might forgetful. Why just last week I forgot that this board was primarily informational and helpful and got to thinking that it was an advertisement for people to vent their animosity.

Just a real old man's ramblings.....

Scot