Heating Water in Microwave

---------------------- Forwarded by Kayne Coulter/HOU/ECT on 11/29/2000 09:34
AM ---------------------------

Gary and Donna Holtz <dgholtz@yahoo.com< on 11/29/2000 09:17:03 AM
To: Mary and Bill Holtz <mary@jvlnet.com<
cc:
Subject: Heating Water in Microwave

Micro-waving Water to
< Heat it Up
< I feel that the following is information that any
< one who uses a microwave
< oven to heat water should be made aware of.
<
< < < About five days ago, a 26 year old man 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 but 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 also may 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 should be
< placed
< < <in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a
< wooden stir stick, tea bag,
< < etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil
< the water in a tea
< kettle.
<
< < < Please pass this information on to friends and
< family. Here is what a
< < <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 anytime
< 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.
<
<
<

< ATTACHMENT part 2 message/rfc822 name=Heating Water
in Microwave.eml
< From: WALatif728@aol.com
< Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 12:38:35 EST
< Subject: Heating Water in Microwave
< To: Beckie948@cs.com, Tiffeny_Lee@nyed.uscourts.gov,
< TaqwaSec@aol.com,
< aleliz@prodigy.net, agoldson@unitedwayatl.org
<
< More important information to be shared:
<
< Wadiyah
<
< Micro-waving Water to Heat it Up
< I feel that the following is information that any
< one who uses a microwave
< oven to heat water should be made aware of.
< < <
< < < About five days ago, a 26 year old man 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 but 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 also may 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 should be
< placed
< < <in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden
< stir stick, tea bag,
< < etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil
< the water in a tea kettle.
< < <
< < < Please pass this information on to friends and
< family. Here is what a
< < <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 anytime 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.
<

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