Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
Published on: February 12, 2013
Universality of oscillating boiling in Leidenfrost transition
Mohammad Khavari1,2, Tuan Tran1
1School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, 639798 Singapore.
Abstract:
The Leidenfrost transition leads a boiling system to the boiling crisis, a state in which the liquid loses contact with the heated surface due to excessive vapor generation. Here, using experiments of liquid droplets boiling on a heated surface, we report a phenomenon, termed oscillating boiling, at the Leidenfrost transition. We show that oscillating boiling results from the competition between two effects: separation of liquid from the heated surface due to localized boiling and rewetting. We argue theoretically that the Leidenfrost transition can be predicted based on its link with the oscillating boiling phenomenon and verify the prediction experimentally for various liquids.
Related Concept Videos
Phase Transitions
Phase Transitions: Vaporization and Condensation
Freezing Point Depression and Boiling Point Elevation
The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapor pressure is equal to ambient atmospheric pressure. Since the vapor pressure of a solution is lowered due to the presence of nonvolatile solutes, it stands to reason that the solution’s boiling point will subsequently be increased. Vapor pressure increases with temperature, and so a solution will require a higher temperature than will pure solvent to achieve any given vapor pressure, including one...
Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...
Properties of Transition Metals
Cooperative Allosteric Transitions

