Leidenfrost effect

The Leidenfrost effect

The Leidenfrost effect is a physical phenomenon in which a liquid, close to a surface that is significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer between the surface and the liquid that keeps the liquid from boiling rapidly .

This effect is mostly seen in cooking, for example, when a few drops of water are sprinkled in a hot pan. If the pan's temperature is at or above the Leidenfrost point, which is approximately 193 °C for water, the water skitters across the pan and takes longer to evaporate than it would take if the water droplets had been sprinkled into a cooler pan.

This effect is also why people can quickly dip their hands in molten lead (DO NOT DO THIS UNDER ANY CIRCUIMSTANCES). There will most likely be water molecules sitting on your hands and the molten lead would be significantly higher than the melting point of water. This would result in a layer of water vapor between the lead and your hand. However, this is very dangerous since the water would fully evaporate if your hand was in there for too long(So do not try this yourself).

Don't try the experiment yourself - it is very dangerous