physics question #3389

Chad Seibert, a 11 year old male from Poseyville, IN asks on April 3, 2006,

Q:

How come you can boil an egg in a paper cup over hot coals and the cup does not burn up?
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the answer

Barry Shell answered on April 6, 2006, A:

The water takes the heat. As long as there is water in the cup, it will never get hotter than boiling, so the water keeps the paper of the cup below the burning temperature of paper which is over 350C. Until all water boils, the temperature is 100C. That is not hot enough to burn paper.

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