ELI5: Why does boiling water stop rolling when you stir it?

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ELI5: Why does boiling water stop rolling when you stir it?

kouhoutek: When water is at a rolling boil, the hottest water near the heat source is becoming gaseous and forming bubbles.

When you stir, you are mixing the cooler water from the rest of the pot in with the very hot water, cooling it down and preventing the formation of steam.

Blakesan: Your simply disturbing the convection current (heat rises) if the water was boiling at a higher temperature then it would require more stirring or a bigger spoon to stop the bubble

Ketameandreams: You disrupt the flowing current. You are stronger than that much water. Ocean currents however, which are governered by much the same principles, would be much harder. Though the theory is the same. Looking back at geological history we see vastly different land mass locations that forced currents in different places and paths. The same thing happens when you stir the water you disrupt the flow of water. When you stop and the water calms, the convection takes over again and you see the return of the rolling boil

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