Tea leaves causing bubbles, wtf?

[janas19]

This is going to be a really dumb post, but ever since I had the opportunity to study abroad in China, I've really learned to enjoy green tea. So anyways, I was making some tea this morning, and brought it to a rolling boil. After the water stopped bubbling so much I put the tea leaves in, and as soon as they hit the water it starts bubbling alot. It was almost like putting Pop Rocks in the water! Lol... Wtf was that about??

 

[brainhulk]

heat makes tea leaves fart

 

[rudder]

This is going to be a really dumb post

Yes it is.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

You shouldn't make tea, especially green tea, with boiling water.

 

[HardcoreRobot]

sounds like the water may have been superheated

 

[janas19]

heat makes tea leaves fart

I know but seriously, the tea leaves made the water bubble

 

[dabuddha]

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=superheated+water+bubbles

 

[IronWing]

Stove=>heat=>pan=>water

Pan is hotter than water therein. Throwing in tea leaves disturbed the water causing water to slosh up on side of pan, which is hotter than water, causing water to spit and bubble.

 

[janas19]

http://www.lmgtfy.com/?q=superheated+water+bubbles

Ummm.... no

 

[Golgatha]

Tea leaves provided a nucleation site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleation

 

[IronWing]

Tea leaves provided a nucleation site.

OP's got nuclear tea? Holy crap! 😱

 

[brainhulk]

tea leaf sn2 backside attack on dihydrogen oxide is an exothermic reaction that releases 02

 

[LiuKangBakinPie]

I was eating my tea last night when I suddenly thought to myself, "This milk must be seriously out of date."

 

[ThatsABigOne]

I was eating my tea last night when I suddenly thought to myself, "This milk must be seriously out of date."

Your teeth. D:

 

[SandEagle]

no such this as a dumb post. only dumb people

 

[janas19]

I was eating my tea last night when I suddenly thought to myself, "This milk must be seriously out of date."

Haha...

Wait what

 

[janas19]

OP's got nuclear tea? Holy crap! 😱

Ok, now it makes sense.

Full disclosure: I buy tea from Chernobyl. It's usually marked down.

 

[Slew Foot]

The boiling action is caused by the temperature difference between the tea leaves and the water. I learned that in college.

 

[crashtestdummy]

Tea leaves provided a nucleation site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleation

This. It's the same effect as using boiling chips.

 

[crashtestdummy]

The boiling action is caused by the temperature difference between the tea leaves and the water. I learned that in college.

That makes no sense. How is suddenly cooling the water supposed to make it boil? The temperature difference would only boil the water if the tea leaves were much hotter than the water, or if the bubbles were actually dissolved gas.

 

[Golgatha]

tea leaf sn2 backside attack on dihydrogen oxide is an exothermic reaction that releases 02

Chemistry fail.

 

[Golgatha]

This. It's the same effect as using boiling chips.

Chemistry/Thermodynamics Win!

 

[Golgatha]

That makes no sense. How is suddenly cooling the water supposed to make it boil? The temperature difference would only boil the water if the tea leaves were much hotter than the water, or if the bubbles were actually dissolved gas.

Dissolved gas.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

That makes no sense. How is suddenly cooling the water supposed to make it boil? The temperature difference would only boil the water if the tea leaves were much hotter than the water, or if the bubbles were actually dissolved gas.

Boiling is NOT a function of only temperature.

 

[Golgatha]

The boiling action is caused by the temperature difference between the tea leaves and the water. I learned that in college.

Only if the tea leaves are hotter than the water. Also, the heat needed to boil water is very high and I'm sure the heat capacity of tea leaves is quite low.