The Leidenfrost Effect - By Araina

Have you ever watched your parents cook and noticed that when the water hits the pan it doesn’t immediately sizzle away? You would expect that since the pan is super hot—hotter than the water’s boiling point—the water droplet should immediately turn to steam as it boils away. Instead, the water forms tiny droplets and “dances” around the pan before turning into steam. This phenomenon is known as the Leidenfrost Effect.

Typically, when you heat up a pan or griddle, the water evaporates as it hits the surface. If you continue to heat the pan even more; however, you see a different outcome. When the water hits the pan, the bottom layer instantly vaporizes. The bottom layer of steam protects, or insulates, the rest of the droplet from touching the scorching heat of the pan so it doesn’t immediately evaporate. This allows the droplet to glide around the pan. Think of it as moving around like a floating car, just barely cruising over the surface of the road. If you ever cook pancakes at home, try this effect out.

If you throw water droplets onto the pan, and they glide around before evaporating then you’ll know your pan is hot enough to start cooking!