Asked by: Harry Green, London
If the sunshine is beating down for hours, the pavement can get hot enough to at least partially cook an egg. But for a fully cooked egg, which needs temperatures of around 70°C, you’re better off with a manhole cover.
These tend to get hotter than the surrounding pavement because they’re made from metal and heat up more when exposed to the same amount of sunlight. They also have an insulating layer of air beneath them, reducing the amount of heat that’s conducted away.
Read more:
- How hot could Earth get before it’s uninhabitable for humans?
- How would you cook a shrimp that came from a hot water vent?
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Authors
Robert is a science writer and visiting professor of science at Aston University. He likes maths, West End musicals and hamsters.
