element on kettle

[mollykins]

why should you not turn a kettle on with no water in? i know its to do with the heating element.

[R1Geezer]

because the water acts as a coolant for the element. With no water the element gets too hot.

[mollykins]

that doesnt make sense because the water gets hot.

[raysparx1]

Well if the kettle didn't have a thermal cut out, the element would get hotter and hotter until it exploded, then you would need a new kettle, luckily all new kettles have thermal cut outs.

[R1Geezer]

The water gets hot becasue it is cooling the element, heat transfer, geddit? Even at boiling point the water is much cooler than the elemnt would get if there was no water. Did you do any sort of science at school?

[tamborine]

because it can catch fire if it heats without water - I had it happen!

[carlton23]

You must be about five, eh? mollykins.

[mollykins]

i'm 16 and am doing very well at science.

last year i got 2 a*s (one 100% and the other 2 marks off) and 2 a's for a science gcse.

but because i do triple science, i don't keep the science gcse i got last year, i do about 6 more science exams this year and get a gcse in each one (when i pass)

[Sandy-Wroe]

Are standards in education what they once were, I wonder.

[mollykins]

Not everyone knows everything.

[mollykins]

Just because i didn't know that the water cools the element.

[mollykins]

Just because theres some stuff that was once o-level stuff thats now a-level doesn't mean its easier because theres some stuff that used to be a-level thats now gcse stuff.

I think its only the foundation papers that have got easier, because as many people as can be passed off are.

[carlton23]

Why so many posts within 2minutes when they could all be answered in one???

[mollykins]

I posted an answer then thought of something else to add afterwards.