Fuck Yeah Fluid Dynamics

The Leidenfrost effect occurs when a liquid comes in contact with a mass significantly hotter than the liquid’s boiling point. Upon contact, a thin layer of the liquid will be vaporized, forming a lubricating gas layer that temporarily insulates the hot mass from the cold liquid. This effect is responsible for water skittering across a hot plate as well as protecting the hands of many a professor from a dunk in liquid nitrogen at the front of a classroom.

reblogged from fyeahchemistry:

(Thanks for the submission, singbird-sing!)