Exploding Water | A Moment of Science | PBS

This time on a Moment of Science...
Heating water in the microwave seems quick and easy, but it could be dangerous. Find out why!
A Moment of Science is a production of Indiana Public Media, in cooperation with Indiana University's scientific community and scientists around the world. Audio episodes are heard on stations worldwide and video episodes are seen each week on the Regional Emmy Award-winning children's program The Friday Zone on PBS stations WTIU and WFYI in Indiana. For more information, visit www.amomentofscience.org
Host: Mandy Striph
Developed for video by: Adam Schweigert
Opening Sequence Editor: Nick Chafin
Opening Sequence Graphics: Nick Chafin, Dave Gonzalez
Supervising Producer: Eric Bolstridge
Producer / Editor: Mark Johnson
Videographer: Jason Pear, Ross Crooks
Production Assistant: Kyle Donnelly, Katy O'Connor
Writers: Don Glass, Susan Linville, William Orem, Jeremy Shere, Eric Sonstroem

[@perkypokey]

"....and I don't trust that coffee either, you got it from Craigslist" That was hilarious. LMAO

[@billchessell8213]

My wife had a habit of using the microwave and leaving time on it. Somehow the thing would get started again and run out the clock. I tried to explain that running it empty just cooks the microwave, so I explained that I was going to leave a Pyrex custard cup of water in the back corner to soak up any unneeded waves. I checked it often and kept it filled. One day while making my afternoon brew there was a deafening boom and something shot past my ear. When I figured out where the coin spinning noise was coming from I found a custard cup spinning down on the floor. Looked up and saw the microwave door coming back from who knows how many bounces back and forth between the hinge limits and the latch. I was there, I saw it, but I didn’t believe it for DAYS!

[@slb7005]

I just came here looking for an explanation because this just happened to me, but it was on a stovetop. No lid. The water shot straight up out of the pot like a geyser about 2 feet in the air and went everywhere. I have never seen this happen before and have boiled many, many pots of water.

[@fall22123]

This happened to me. I had a clear glass coffee mug. I had boiled water 1000s of times in it to make tea. Set it for the usual time. Wasn't boiling. Set another minute. Nothing. Repeated this a few times until it exploded in the microwave. The door flew open and hit me in the face.

[@KisoonaKing]

I’m so sorry that happened to you

[@ZenLord]

Omg... my uncle told me about this and I used to heat my tea in the microwave. Ever since he told me about this I’ve always been scared to heat up water in the microwave 😂. Like every single time I go to take it out... I always like slightly move it and pull my hand away before fully taking it out.

[@WitchMedusa]

Lol at least now you know it's a real thing, maybe invest into a kettle their pretty cheap & 3rd degree burn marks aren't pretty. Just remember this is one of the rare cases water can exceed its boiling temperature & that can actually cause pretty serious injuries.

[@Leehensman]

i can honestly confirm this is not a myth, back in my younger drinking days i was stiil living in mums house, came home one night completely wasted and had cravings for noodles, only thing was i forgot to put the noodles in the glass microwave jug so only heated the water on high for what i thought was 1 minute, only after waiting for 12 or so minutes had realised i had set it for one hour instead so took it out of microwave and went to stir the non existent noodles with a fork and bam. next morning had to explain to my mum why there was a water stain on kitchen ceiling and why my face was covered in little red dots, i didn't dare tell her the water literally exploded as hardly believed it myself and didn't want yet another lecture on drugs lol.

[@selever3387]

Gosh

[@selever3387]

Deadly

[@AYouTubeChannelwithNoName]

1 hour?? 🤣🤣

[@passionatemelon6627]

It didn't happen badly to me, but it did happen lol

[@WitchMedusa]

Lol I can only imagine how funny that must have been afterwards & thinking back on it.

[@rbp365]

I've been heating tea water in mugs using the microwave for ages, never experienced anything like this. Recently, I've switched to jars because they are bigger and I can make more tea with them, and experienced this phenomenon, almost injured myself a couple of times, I had no idea what is this shit. Now that I've looked it up and found your video I'm enlightened, super greatful, thank you!

[@WitchMedusa]

Ah that's pretty funny just how you worded it, get an electric kettle their cheap & awesome

[@LoveIsContagious]

No use putting on a stove, I just got scalded yesterday when I was boiling a pot (without lid cover at all). I realised something is wrong when the water isn’t boiling after 10 mins which it usually will, then I saw the water is already very hot, so I switched off the gas and took the pot out from the stove, immediately I heard & saw bubbles foaming at a high speed & next second it exploded & splashed onto my hot body & hands. Luckily my face & eyes are not hurt but my hands & fingers got scalded.

[@RMoribayashi]

I've had the superheated water reaction even after seeing a few bubbles on the top (NOT on the sides). I like your idea of giving it a poke with a long stick first.

[@jacobmyrick2961]

SOP--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE. YOU JUST MAY END UP WITH YO WILLY NOT STUCK IN A TOASTER. NAMASTE 😂

[@liomurasaki]

Yes it happened to me, i put an egg to boil in a cup in the microwave with water, i went to take it but after i opened the mw i noticed i didn't had a rag to take it without burning my hand so i turned around, made 2 steps to the table, and it blew up behind me, if i hadn't forgot the rag i would have a pretty awful burn scar in my face, and probably be blind. Considering the egg is a rough surface and it blew up anyways, i think just using a stove is way better

[@natewilburn301]

Before watching this video I was very concerned someone might explode the ocean. I feel relieved

[@scottsavage2943]

This is the craziest video on KZbin!

[@WitchMedusa]

This channel is nostalgia & I've never seen it before. Reminds me of a mix between Bill Nye & the early KZbin space even though it's only 8 years old.

[@prussian7]

Had this happen to me this morning. I have been heating a water for oatmeal every morning for about 2 years. First time the happened. I was lucky and it exploded in the microwave just as I picked it up I saw a huge bubble form. Got only a minor burn.

[@Eris-_]

"That's what you get for arguing with science."

[@NicholasCat]

Who the fuck buys coffee off of Craigslist?

[@misium]

Its true and quite easy to happen at home. If you heated water in the microwave for a while and you wander why it doesn't boil, don't put your hands inside. Use a long stick with a hook, to disturb it first.

[@johnsimms3957]

This just happened to me on the stove top. The kettle was too clean. I stuck a fork into the water and it boiled up and over like a geyser.

[@jeremypoythress4995]

this happened to my dad recently. He microwaved a coffee mug full of grits with silver metallic art painted on the side of it. he dropped a spoon in it causing it to explode inside the microwave. i had no idea hot water could just explode like that in any kind of boiling conditions whether it be in microwave or on a stove top.

[@RutabegaNG]

I've seen it; it's wild.

[@Wildue]

The waters been microWAVED

[@juan-pierreconradie1463]

This just happened to me so fact, luckily only my one hand got fucked

[@disappeared21]

1:19 why is this the most replayed part?

[@thejoshpope]

This happened to me today, now I'm reaeching it

[@WDCallahan]

Ha! That dude got scienced!

[@otrotland5377]

thank you

[@johncgibson4720]

It happened to me for the first time in my life last night in a Motel6 after I used their bathroom soap to wash my brand new glass mug and tried to warm a cup of water. Luckily the explosion happened before I took the cup out.

[@Jpa5551]

This reminds me of Bill Nye the science guy Also there's a button on your microwave for hot beverage mine has a 1 option for 2 minutes and a 2 option for 4 minutes use those and ull be safe. ALSO I once heated up a boiled egg I had in The fridge and it blew up as soon as I took a bite I only heated it for 45 seconds so it was pretty hot but not burning hot it ruined my meal so I ate something else. Lots of things pop in the microwave like ham and sausage most meats and popcorn 😉

[@butkiss536]

Love the MHz cup. Where can I get one?

[@sophiemichelle3688]

This just happened to my mum she had to go to hospital

[@BungieStudios]

This is why you use the beverage setting. It uses a lower power output and sets a low microwave time. It heats the water but doesn't superheat it.

[@mrandrossguy9871]

I just want to know can Water be like 2000° or like Fire Hot !?

[@butterfinger4393]

It will evaporate way before that

[@threeisthemagicnumbercalif4540]

Saw it this morning

[@kilroy987]

I wanted to see it happen!

[@graphenepixel8231]

that's super traumatic.

[@RenaissancePeopleNYC]

This can happen on a STOVE TOP as well as it has happened to me! I've been burned TWICE heating water to make coffee in a percolator. I was wondering why the water wasn't boiling the when I placed the coffee grains & glass stem in the water it exploded and burned my hand. I use double filtered water which is probably why the water is too "clean"! I guess my filters are really good since these guys seem to think it only works with distilled water.

[@nunyabusiness3082]

Boiling water as well why isn't boiling? drop salt in explosion 💥

[@RMoribayashi]

I'd wait a lot more than 30 seconds if you really overheated it. The large glass grape jelly jar I've boiled water in for years once got superheated (I was called away and re-heated it). Just to be careful I waited 20 to 30 seconds before I opened the microwave oven. When I took it out over half of the water erupted out of the jar. Luckily only my arm got hit and I iced it down quickly. BTW I've also encountered superheated water in new Styrofoam cups.

[@RMoribayashi]

I agree. The stupid Atom Bomb footage was just silly. As for waiting 30 seconds is minimum if you really overheated it. The large glass jar I've boiled water in for years once got superheated (I was called away and re-heated it). Just to be careful I waited 30 seconds before I opened the microwave oven. When I took it out over half of the water erupted out of the jar. Luckily only my arm got hit and I iced it down quickly. BTW I've also supeheated water in brand new Styrofoam cups.

[@codemiesterbeats]

I had to make sure that this was actually a thing because it happened to me... I looked and thought the water was taking suspiciously long to boil so like a moron I opened it to investigate... fortunately I wasn't disfigured by the exploding water.

[@vanesslifeygo]

I wish I could...

[@MALSchmar]

European here. Do you guys over there heat your water in the Microwave? For tea?

[@avatar2801]

I thought about Linkin Park - Numb with that Intro

[@cavanmacfarlane1692]

interesting

[@spidermancares]

Suburban Arthur Fleck

[@wildcatslife686]

I boil water for 2 minutes and it’s fine

[@blackjack98enterprises]

Soooooo. You couldn't exactly show us what it looked like?????. . . . And now I have to watch other videos to actuated it.

[@handduggraverdronline]

Why would anyone want to boil water for tea? Unless they're looking to destroy a good cup of tea

[@Cl0udn1n3]

I prefer splooshing my pants but expanding the underground oceans under Earth might be more sploosh than most can handle. #flood

[@billh041]

Where is the demo of this happening? I suspect you would have to have the microwave on for an extended period, well beyond what would be sensible for a cup of hot water, and you would have to take the cup out seconds after the ping. Give it 10 seconds before removing the cup and something like this wont happen. You can wait 10 seconds can't you?

[@floatingf8783]

0:47 Oh my god, he's Joe Biden in disguise!

[@neithanm]

This explains very little.

[@dm.2023]

No demonstration?? Boring!!!

[@kendrickxy1774]

So the problem is not the water but the container. I saw that most of people complaining about the exploding water where using glass glasses or mesument glass etc... I guess it can't happend with a Mug. So stop putting glasses or plastic cups in microwave. First of all it's not recommended and also it can explose

[@jonathandpg6115]

anything smooth including a smooth mug

[@rlong8038]

I took a large coffee mug with 16 oz of water out of the microwave this morning after it exploded their was less than 1 in of water left in the mug. I put a spoon in it and the water exploded on my forehead, face and right hand which are blistering. I've never had this happen before. Luckily, I was wearing glasses. Quite a painful learning expoerence.

[@jobaboy443]

People are freaking out. That only happens if you set your microwave to 1Million W power. You get the point. Heat a cup of water in just about less or 200W to let it boil.