Why does adding water to boiling oil cause an explosion but nothing happens when adding oil to boiling water?
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Oil doesn’t boil in any practical sense, it burns. The boiling point for oil is MUCH higher than the smoking point and the smoking point for most oils is significantly higher than the boiling point of water which is 212°F/100°C.
The lowest smoking point for oil in this list is 325°F/165°C [https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter](https://www.seriouseats.com/cooking-fats-101-whats-a-smoke-point-and-why-does-it-matter)
So, putting water in an environment that can quickly transfer energy to the water at above 212°F = water almost instantly turns to steam which is a pretty large expansion which is pretty much the definition of an explosion.
On the other hand, water cannot be above 212°F/100°C as a liquid under normal atmospheric pressures at sea level. So, adding oil to boiling water doesnt even bring the oil to the smoking point.
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