Water in a microwave oven can be dangerous

There have been many reports of injury to people using microwave ovens to heat water to make hot drinks. Water heated in a microwave oven may be superheated and when objects (e.g. a spoon) or granulated materials (e.g. instant coffee) are put into it, the water may boil very vigorously or even appear to explode out of the container.

The vigorously ejected boiling water can cause serious burns. Sometimes even the act of taking the container out of the oven and or putting it on the bench can cause the boiling.

www.phys.unsw.edu.au...

video showing what happens:
www.phys.unsw.edu.au...

This was new to me, but now I know. and so do you

Whoa..I thought that only happened with distilled water...
Thanks for the info! that video is pretty cool too.
Here's another video, the mythbusters did experiments with superheating water:

Superheating has to do with the amount of surface area when heating water in the microwave.

If you are using a tall container, without much surface area, the possibility of a superheated liquid increases. This happens when the water does not boil due to the surface tension of the water being increased by no much surface area.

As the water heats up, it should boil, but it is unable to. Then, when the container is disturbed, the water flash boils, and can cause great damage.

If boiling water in a tall container, watch for it to boil. If it does not boil when it should, hit the side of the container with a spoon, to get it to boil. Do Not look down into it, as this is when many people scald their eyes/faces.

Super Heated Liquids are not a toy, and are extremely dangerous.

Superheated fluids! Woo!

Just stir it before doing anything.

also fun to superheat eggs! I've seen someone microwave an egg before, and then right when they opened the microwave door, it exploded all over the place. It was great, highly recommended (to watch).

Boiling water is boring.
Try microwaving ketchup packets.

Amateurs....

Real men float light bulbs in the water and nuke it.

Also microwaved water probably isn't safe to drink either, try two plants water one with normal water and the other with cool microwaved water and the microwaved water kills the plant.

Originally posted by CelticFC
Also microwaved water probably isn't safe to drink either

Uh...yes it is?

Originally posted by CelticFC
Also microwaved water probably isn't safe to drink either, try two plants water one with normal water and the other with cool microwaved water and the microwaved water kills the plant.

Interesting.
Would you happen to know why that is?
Is there anything documented on this or did you try this yourself?

reply to post by Alxandro


It's utter bs. I dont know where you heard that, but it's lies CelticFC

[edit on 2-8-2008 by Daniem]

I remember a few years ago a chemistry teacher told us about it doing something with free radicals and then I saw it on Brainiac, Im not really sure if its true.

Nope, microwaving's fine.

[edit on 2-8-2008 by Johnmike]

You do remember the terminology to NUKE FOOD, well in essence that is exactly what you are doing, through electromagnetic radiation.

Yes mankind has setup himself to fail with some appliances, it's also part of the transmutation, I guess with a given amount of enough years you could gauge this classification under some pretense, what do you think.

Some of our household appliances are very dangerous. Luckily we are made out the same compound reactions. I just hope the body can hold up with the physiological change to the mechanism.

[edit on 2-8-2008 by menguard]

reply to post by menguard


I dont understand you exactly, but ill point out to everyone that the microwaves are not nuclear radiation despite the slang term 'nuke'

Originally posted by Daniem
reply to post by Alxandro

 

It's utter bs. I dont know where you heard that, but it's lies CelticFC

[edit on 2-8-2008 by Daniem]

It was a science project done by a child.

Microwaved Water-- see waht it does to plants

Follow the link to see the pictures and read the story.

Snopes declares it a lie, though. You be the judge.

Snopes: False

Crazy second video really does look very dangerous.

People at work boil water in the microwave all the time too, nothing like this yet though luckily.

reply to post by scientist


Oh the memories!

Did that to my brother once. When we were kids we had an old incubator and hatched a few birds (quail, "fancy" chickens, etc.) for a local petting zoo. I told him that a microwave did the same thing... only faster! So he put in an egg and waited. The egg started to rock and he got his face right up close expecting to see a cute cuddly chick hatch and... BAM! Scrambled eggs everywhere!

reply to post by Daniem


I will agree to disagree on this, electromagnetic radiation, that is the same thing from the sun, believe it or not.

If we were abosorbing fall out rays from the sun, our bone would turn to ashes, we would be disintegrated.

Everbody always forgets about the level of protection we have with the bio-electric cocoon around our bodies.

Electromagnetic radiation is exactly what you will be picking up from a ufo, interesting that we would plant devices in our house that would be common energy when the Gathering takes place.



[edit on 2-8-2008 by menguard]

Awww mang what a coincidence, jsut finshed cleanin up soem exploded egg off my counter like 20 mins ago, this sites ridiculous they make threads about everything, lol...

I totally j ust ruined my lunch for tomorrow great... lol