Out of the Frying Pan - Explosive Droplet Dynamics

We present analysis from an experimental investigation of water droplets impinging onto hot oil, a phenomena which many people may have experienced in their own kitchen. We use both high-speed photography and high-frequency audio acquisition to determine the frequency of the explosions and size distribution and trajectory of the droplets which are ejected during this explosive event. We study the effect of oil film thickness, temperature and water droplet impact speed, showing that the most violent explosions occur for the highest impact speed and thicker oil films.