this post was submitted on 10 Dec 2024
364 points (98.1% liked)

xkcd

8991 readers
215 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

No, of course we don't microwave the mug WITH the teabag in it. We microwave the teabag separately.

https://explainxkcd.com/3022/

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Brother it takes 3 minutes to boil water in the microwave. I have done this without fail.

It cools down much faster though. Not sure how that works.

[–] Cethin 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It doesn't cool down faster. That makes no sense.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Listen I can't prove it, but I swear on my mother it does

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago

It may appear that way if it was unevenly heated, causing pockets of boiling water surrounded by comparatively cool water. This would make it look like it's boiling, but then, when mixed, it is then much cooler than if heated by a kettle that relies on convection to mix the water.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

You can prove it by boiling the water in different ways, putting a thermometer inside and then filming/timing it :D

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Because only some of the water boils, not all of it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

My microwave must be really weak then. The kettle is still faster though

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

It definitely depends on the microwave. In my office, one boils a mug in 2:20, while the other requires over 3 min