Tagged Questions
22
votes
6answers
2k views
How do whisky stones keep your drink cold?
From a discussion in the DMZ (security stack exchange's chat room - a place where food and drink are important topics) we began to question the difference between how ice and whisky stones work to ...
12
votes
6answers
863 views
Does an empty refrigerator require more power to stay cold than a full one?
Given that everything else is equal (model of fridge, temperature settings, external temperature, altitude), over a given duration of having the door closed, does it require more electricity to cool ...
5
votes
3answers
220 views
How can I determine the coefficient $k$ in $ \dfrac{dT}{dt} = -k(T - 100 \mathrm{^\circ C}) $?
I recently spend some time on cooking and I'm curious about the time evolution of the temperature of the water. I did some experiment and the temperature is of the form
$$ T = 100 \mathrm{^\circ C} + ...
8
votes
3answers
524 views
How hot is the water in the pot?
Question: How hot is the water in the pot? More precisely speaking, how can I get a temperature of the water as a function of time a priori?
Background & My attempt: Recently I started spend ...
3
votes
1answer
76 views
What pressure or tension occurs in a glass jar when I pour boiling water inside?
Sometimes it happens that when you pour a boiling water into a glass jar, it cracks. Since glass is very hard material and resilient to pressure, the tension must be very high. Is it possible to ...
1
vote
1answer
40 views
What controls the heating ability of steamers?
Pictured below is a standalone steamer used for foaming and heating milk for milk-based coffee drinks like cappuccinos and lattes. They can be filled with water up to the pressure relief incorporated ...
1
vote
1answer
112 views
why do lightbulbs sometimes unscrew by themselves?
I've seen some light fixtures which exhibit the behavior of lightbulbs gradually unscrewing by themselves.
0
votes
1answer
125 views
Confused about fire?
Im confused about fire.
The way I see it :
Heat creates (kinetic) energy in mass and this creates stronger vibrations of atoms.
When those vibrations are strong enough the electrons interact ...
2
votes
3answers
112 views
Why is there more steam when water is subject to less fire?
When I cook things, such as scallop and salmon, I found that the food may be more tender if I wait till the water boils (at 100 C) and immediately turn the fire lower so that the water is not bubbling ...
0
votes
2answers
96 views
Stealing heat, or not?
Say I hook a 1KW steam engine to the steam heat in my apartment, and generate 1KW of electricity (the engine is 1KW mechanical, not 1KW thermal) from it, so I don't have to pay ConEd.
That means I ...
4
votes
2answers
210 views
How can one feel cold without touching it?
Let me explain.
My shower is inconsistant in how hot it gets. Whenever I turn on the shower, I always put my hand really close to the water, but not touching it, so I can feel the heat radiate from ...
0
votes
1answer
111 views
Is a low-current electrical arc harmful to humans?
I've heard that electrical flux non-destructive particle testing machines are considered safe because they use less than 2 amps. I have seen an arc created between two objects do considerable damage, ...
3
votes
1answer
165 views
Boiling when I plunge my french press?
Occasionally when I make coffee in my french press I experience something odd. It happens pretty infrequently but certainly enough to be curious about. I have the grounds ready in the carafe. The ...
5
votes
4answers
975 views
Should I heat my room when I'm not here, energy-efficiently speaking?
I was wondering as it's getting cold : is it better for my electricity bill to shut down completely my (electric) heater during day, and to turn it on again when I come home (then it will have to heat ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views
Why is my tupperware sealed after heating it up in the microwave?
I had a vegetable soup in a crystal tupperware and I put it in the microwave to heat it up.
The funny thing is that when I took it out, it was impossible to open it up. The lid is bent towards the ...
3
votes
2answers
603 views
Which phenomena is involved in the clothes drying process?
There's this question that has been bugging me most of my life: how is it that wet clothes left hanging to dry, get actually dry?
If I get it right, the clothes are a mesh of fibers (we could assume ...
1
vote
3answers
572 views
Function of air conditioner
What i always thought that air conditioners blow the cool air without knowing that they actually take the warm air from indoor and from outdoor. But whats the point of taking air from indoor and ...
3
votes
1answer
649 views
Why did my liquid soda freeze once I pulled it out of the fridge and opened it?
This isn't a duplicate to "Why did my liquid soda freeze once I pulled it out of the fridge?". My question is why soda froze after it was opened. Opening a can or bottle seems to have a larger effect ...
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Pressure inside a light bulb
It is known that nowadays most light bulbs are filled with gas in order to minimise the evaporation rate of tungsten. Is e.g. argon put into the bulb with reduced pressure, so that the glass doesn't ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
Why is there more steam after a pot of water *stops* boiling?
I have a pot of vigorously boiling water on a gas stove. There's some steam, but not alot. When I turn off the gas, the boiling immediately subsides, and a huge waft of steam comes out. This is ...
