Started by Ilya Smirnov (@ilya_s) ·
water drops skate on a hot pan because they're floating on steam
Cooking question that turned into a physics evening. Past a certain temperature the bottom of the drop flash-boils and the drop rides on its own layer of vapor, so it lasts way longer than it would on a merely hot pan.
5 sources · 21 min down the hole
How I got here
- Started with
- “why does water dance on a hot pan”
- Ended at
- Boiling
The Trail
- “why does water dance on a hot pan” (google.com)
- Leidenfrost effect (en.wikipedia.org)
- Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost (en.wikipedia.org)
- “leidenfrost droplet ratchet maze” (youtube.com)
- Boiling (en.wikipedia.org)
Keep going
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