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잘못하면 화상을 입을 수 있다는 내용입니다. 참고하시기 바랍니다.

-- 아 래

Please read and be safe.

Boiling Water in Microwave Oven

I feel that the following is information that anyone who uses a microwave oven
to heat water should know. My 26-year old son decided to have a cup of 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 up, 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 build up
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 a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated
in a mi
Please pass this information on to friends and family.


General Electric's response:

Thanks for contacting us, Mr. Williams. I will be happy to assist you. The e-
mail that you received is correct. Microwaved water and other liquids do not
always bubble when they reach the boiling point. They can actually get
superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid will bubble up out
of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or tea bag is put
into it. To prevent this from happening and causing injury, do not heat any
liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After heating, let the cup stand in
the microwave for thirty seconds before moving it or adding anything into it.
I hope this helps. Should you need any further assistance, please contact us.


Here is what our local 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 anytime water is
heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated in
is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a cup). What
happens is that the water heats faster than the vapour 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."

If you pass this on ... you could very well save someone from a lot of pain
and suffering.

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