Unintentional Science Experiment
 

I never thought I would actually have something happen to me that I've seen Mythbusters actually test. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_OXM4mr_i0

It all started with me wanting to make a cup of oatmeal. So I filled a cup with some water, out of the tap, and put it in the microwave. After the microwave shut off, I went to open the door and the cup of water literally exploded. Half the water in the cup was now outside the cup all over the bottom of my microwave. It was pretty damn cool.

I didn't think my tap would have been that pure. So from now on, I think I need to put a pinch of sugar in the water before I nuke it.

Anything like this ever happen to you guys?

I microwaved some soup at work once, opened the door, stuck a fork in to start mixing and it exploded everywhere including a few burned patches on my face http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ilies/sad1.gifhttp://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/laugh1.gif

That's why some smart ****er invented cling-film ;)

I remember reading that cockroaches can survive nuclear radiation so I decided to find a few and put them in plastic containers with a lid and put them in the microwave to see if they would survive microwave radiation.

It literally took about 2 seconds before their insides burst from their limbs and they were cooked. Did the same thing to a spider, no difference.

Can't imagine what it would be like for a human or animal to be microwaved.

You clearly have no idea how a microwave works or what nuclear radiation is....http://www.discussworldissues.com/fo...ies/blink1.gif

I know full well how a microwave works (evaporates water) however your correct on your assumption that I don't know exactly what nuclear radiation is. Generally when I think of radiation from a nuclear source I think gamma rays but a google search would prove me wrong.

I did it more for curiosity than anything else given that I've never actually seen a live insect placed in a microwave so did not know what would happen.

No. filler

The radiation from microwaves causes the molecules in water to move rapidly which causes heat energy. Water generally evaporates when it gets too hot and it doesn't take long to heat up water in a microwave. Given most foods contain some form of water the heat produced causes the food to also heat up.

At least thats what they taught me in school.

You said microwave ovens work by evaporating water, which isn't correct.

Oh, is that your cute little kittie in your avatar!? *stab stab stab*

While it's true that impurities generally create nucleation zones that allow water to boil, liquid does not have to be completely pure to superheat, and simply adding some sugar won't necessarily safeguard you against it. The key is adding air bubbles to the liquid which you can do simply by agitating (shaking is best) the water and using a scratched up container (the scratches are likely to hold air after the liquid is poured in). If you're going to add a foreign object to the container, you'd probably be best off using something wooden like a skewer or popsicle stick, since it's naturally porous and will harbor the gas bubbles needed for nucleation (unlike plastic).

And also, if you boil the water once, do not keep it and then boil it again, as there will be an increased chance of the container and water being degassed.

I've never had a problem with superheating liquids though. My water comes out of the faucet at a pretty high pressure which aerates it well enough. And my measuring cups are scratched to hell...

No, it's why someone invented microwaveable cling-film.

That's the same way I got my water. Straight from the faucet into a plastic measuring cup (with lots of scratches in it), then poured into a ceramic coffee mug to microwave.

But it's only happened to me once. Maybe it was just a random fluke that it happened in the first place.