got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments

I was very glad to get this e-mail 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 time 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 (never metal) should be placed in the cup to
diffuse the energy.
Here is what a 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 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.
Please pass this on to everyone you know, it could save a lot of pain
and suffering.
NOW FROM: www.truthorfiction.com
Water Heated a Microwave Can Violently Erupt and Cause Injury-Truth! :
The writer of the email says his or her 26 year old son was scalded by
water that erupted from a container after being heated in a microwave.
The son experienced severe burns. The writer warns that water should
never be heated by itself in a microwave and quotes a science teacher
who says the eruption was because the water was heated in a new
container that lacked scratches on the sides to allow bubbles to
accumulate and be released. The email also quotes a doctor who treated
the injured son as saying that theses incidents are fairly common. bullet
The Truth: This has been a complex one to try to track down and we've
consulted a number of different sources. Here is our best understanding
of the truth: ...As the millions of people who heat water in the
microwave for coffee and tea can attest, this is not a common occurrence
and we could find no record of injuries from it, although that doesn't
mean none has happened.
....When water is heated on a stove and reaches the boiling point, there
are usually the characteristic bubbles that emerge from the bottom of
the heated pan. It would be easy, then, to think that all water boils
like that when reaching the boiling point. The problem is, that's not
always the case.
....It is possible to sometimes heat water beyond the boiling point but
without the bubbles. Why are there no bubbles? When water reaches the
boiling point, the water molecules need to start joining arms with other
water molecules in order to create the bubble of vapor that we see as
boiling. In order to do that, some molecules need to all meet together
at the same place and at the same time at what is called a "nucleation
site." A nucleation site can be a tiny impurity, another air bubble,
even a scratch on the surface of the container.
....So, here's the scenario: Some water is heated in the microwave and
both the water and the container are clean enough that there are no
nucleation sites. The water temperature goes higher than the boiling
point, but without "boiling." Not only that, but because of the way
microwaves work, not all of the water in the cup is the same
temperature. The water lining the sides of the cup becomes heated,
while some of the water toward the interior of the cup is cooler.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

IMPORTANT!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!

kag wrote:
got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments

I was very glad to get this e-mail 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 time 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 (never metal) should be placed in the cup to
diffuse the energy.
Here is what a 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 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.
Please pass this on to everyone you know, it could save a lot of pain
and suffering.
NOW FROM: www.truthorfiction.com
Water Heated a Microwave Can Violently Erupt and Cause Injury-Truth! :
The writer of the email says his or her 26 year old son was scalded by
water that erupted from a container after being heated in a microwave.
The son experienced severe burns. The writer warns that water should
never be heated by itself in a microwave and quotes a science teacher
who says the eruption was because the water was heated in a new
container that lacked scratches on the sides to allow bubbles to
accumulate and be released. The email also quotes a doctor who treated
the injured son as saying that theses incidents are fairly common. bullet
The Truth: This has been a complex one to try to track down and we've
consulted a number of different sources. Here is our best understanding
of the truth: ...As the millions of people who heat water in the
microwave for coffee and tea can attest, this is not a common occurrence
and we could find no record of injuries from it, although that doesn't
mean none has happened.
...When water is heated on a stove and reaches the boiling point, there
are usually the characteristic bubbles that emerge from the bottom of
the heated pan. It would be easy, then, to think that all water boils
like that when reaching the boiling point. The problem is, that's not
always the case.
...It is possible to sometimes heat water beyond the boiling point but
without the bubbles. Why are there no bubbles? When water reaches the
boiling point, the water molecules need to start joining arms with other
water molecules in order to create the bubble of vapor that we see as
boiling. In order to do that, some molecules need to all meet together
at the same place and at the same time at what is called a "nucleation
site." A nucleation site can be a tiny impurity, another air bubble,
even a scratch on the surface of the container.
...So, here's the scenario: Some water is heated in the microwave and
both the water and the container are clean enough that there are no
nucleation sites. The water temperature goes higher than the boiling
point, but without "boiling." Not only that, but because of the way
microwaves work, not all of the water in the cup is the same
temperature. The water lining the sides of the cup becomes heated,
while some of the water toward the interior of the cup is cooler.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

IMPORTANT!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!



This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.



--
"..A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava
beans and a nice chianti..."

Hannibal "The Cannibal"

Silence Of The Lambs 1991

In article ,
"kag" wrote:

got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments


[snippage: re water that has been heated in the microwave "exploding"
out of the cup when something is added, due to superheating]

Yep, it's true, and Snopes confirms it.

http://www.snopes.com/science/microwav.htm

Put a stirrer or plastic spoon or something in the cup when heating
water in the uwave. Either that or stop drinking instant coffee.

Miche (gee, easy choice)

--
If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
-- Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"

Richard Periut wrote in
:

This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.


Actually it is quite common. Water heated by any method can do this (under
the right circumtances). In Labs they use special triangular stones in the
bottom of vessels expected to boil so it will bubble. I've had the water
gush out of a cup when I added a tea bag to microwaved water. It bubbled up
like a soda that had salt poured in it.

The smoother the interior surface of the container the more readily this
can occur. That's why the triangular stones.

--
The Beet goes on! (or under)

Richard Periut wrote:
kag wrote:

got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments

I was very glad to get this e-mail 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 time 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 (never metal) should be placed in the cup to
diffuse the energy.
Here is what a 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 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.
Please pass this on to everyone you know, it could save a lot of pain
and suffering.
NOW FROM: www.truthorfiction.com
Water Heated a Microwave Can Violently Erupt and Cause Injury-Truth! :
The writer of the email says his or her 26 year old son was scalded by
water that erupted from a container after being heated in a microwave.
The son experienced severe burns. The writer warns that water should
never be heated by itself in a microwave and quotes a science teacher
who says the eruption was because the water was heated in a new
container that lacked scratches on the sides to allow bubbles to
accumulate and be released. The email also quotes a doctor who treated
the injured son as saying that theses incidents are fairly common. bullet
The Truth: This has been a complex one to try to track down and we've
consulted a number of different sources. Here is our best understanding
of the truth: ...As the millions of people who heat water in the
microwave for coffee and tea can attest, this is not a common occurrence
and we could find no record of injuries from it, although that doesn't
mean none has happened.
...When water is heated on a stove and reaches the boiling point, there
are usually the characteristic bubbles that emerge from the bottom of
the heated pan. It would be easy, then, to think that all water boils
like that when reaching the boiling point. The problem is, that's not
always the case.
...It is possible to sometimes heat water beyond the boiling point but
without the bubbles. Why are there no bubbles? When water reaches the
boiling point, the water molecules need to start joining arms with other
water molecules in order to create the bubble of vapor that we see as
boiling. In order to do that, some molecules need to all meet together
at the same place and at the same time at what is called a "nucleation
site." A nucleation site can be a tiny impurity, another air bubble,
even a scratch on the surface of the container.
...So, here's the scenario: Some water is heated in the microwave and
both the water and the container are clean enough that there are no
nucleation sites. The water temperature goes higher than the boiling
point, but without "boiling." Not only that, but because of the way
microwaves work, not all of the water in the cup is the same
temperature. The water lining the sides of the cup becomes heated,
while some of the water toward the interior of the cup is cooler.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

IMPORTANT!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!



This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.



Or dropping a cast iron pan onto the toe.

"Hahabogus" wrote in message
. 1...
Richard Periut wrote in
:

This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.


Actually it is quite common. Water heated by any method can do this (under
the right circumtances). In Labs they use special triangular stones in the
bottom of vessels expected to boil so it will bubble. I've had the water
gush out of a cup when I added a tea bag to microwaved water. It bubbled
up
like a soda that had salt poured in it.

The smoother the interior surface of the container the more readily this
can occur. That's why the triangular stones.

--
The Beet goes on! (or under)

From Scopes

"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)."

And
"If you're really worried about this happening to you, follow the advice and
leave some non-metallic object (such as a wooden spoon or stir stick) in the
cup when you boil water in the microwave. It may not be necessary, but it
won't hurt anything either. Peace of mind rarely comes so cheaply."

Dimitri

Cult of Nurse's wrote:

This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.

Or dropping a cast iron pan onto the toe.

Oh, sure, easy for *you* to say...YOU don't have a limp now, do you?

--
Darryl L. Pierce
Visit the Infobahn Offramp - http://mypage.org/mcpierce
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?"

Darryl L. Pierce typed:
Cult of Nurse's wrote:

This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.

Or dropping a cast iron pan onto the toe.

Oh, sure, easy for *you* to say...YOU don't have a limp now, do you?


Not *this* week, no.
8-)

BOB

BOB wrote:

This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.

Or dropping a cast iron pan onto the toe.

Oh, sure, easy for *you* to say...YOU don't have a limp now, do you?

Not *this* week, no.
8-)

At least you didn't get your hand caught under the rolling pin again...

--
Darryl L. Pierce
Visit the Infobahn Offramp - http://mypage.org/mcpierce
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?"

kag wrote:

got this one in my email today-
karen

WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments

snip

It certainly is possible to get superheating of water in the microwave,
under certain conditions. I've had it happen to me. However, it's hardly
a major safety issue.

Just wait a few seconds before removing any cup of boiled water or else
stick a spoon in it before removing the cup from the microwave.



Also had an instance of supercooling of something in the freezer. Had
stuck a bottle of fizzy water in the freezer to cool down and forgot
about it for a while. When I remembered it and retrieved it, I opened
the cap and started to pour some out. It was liquid in the bottle, but
froze as soon as it left the bottle.

I hate to sound like one of those idiots who insists that urban legends are
true because they happened to their manicurist's friend's cousin's
half-sister's neighbor, but this one is true. It happened to one of my
mom's bridge club friends. She had an over-the-stove microwave, so that
when she took the cup out, her face was at the same level and was burned. I
don't know how badly, though.

Cult of Nurse's wrote:

Richard Periut wrote:
kag wrote:

got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments

snipped The water lining the sides of the cup becomes heated,
while some of the water toward the interior of the cup is cooler.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:

IMPORTANT!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!



This is probably less common than someone tripping on the kitchen floor
while holding a tea kettle.



Or dropping a cast iron pan onto the toe.

Or having a can of veggies fall out of an upper pantry cabinet and
bonking you on the head or hitting the middle of your instep. ouch!

thanks everyone
i sent this along to the person who emailed me originally
karen

Miche wrote in message news:micheinnz-
http://www.snopes.com/science/microwav.htm

Put a stirrer or plastic spoon or something in the cup when heating
water in the uwave. Either that or stop drinking instant coffee.

Miche (gee, easy choice)

--
If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
-- Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"

On Fri, 21 Nov 2003 01:15:27 -0500, Chris and Bob Neidecker wrote:

I hate to sound like one of those idiots who insists that urban legends are
true because they happened to their manicurist's friend's cousin's
half-sister's neighbor, but this one is true. It happened to one of my
mom's bridge club friends. She had an over-the-stove microwave, so that
when she took the cup out, her face was at the same level and was burned. I
don't know how badly, though.

It happened to me, but fortunately the cup was pointed the other way and I
was not burned, but I can see how someone could be.

--
JakeInHartsel

"kag" wrote in message
...
got this one in my email today-
karen



WARNING ON WATER IN THE MICROWAVE This one is factual read to end for
truthorfiction comments
snip

This one was on Myth Busters, and it was interesting to watch the results.
For anyone who doesn't know about it, Myth Busters is a show that takes the
urban legends and puts them to the test. In this instance, they proved the
myth true.

kimberly