Why does oil/butter alone in a hot pan burn, but if you add food to the oil the oil doesn’t burn?

Question

Even if the pan appears to be at the same temperature

In: 1

Answer 1

The pan isn’t the same temperature. The mass of the food is acting as a heat sink and keeps the oil/butter from getting as hot. The oil is heated by the pan (which is heated by the stove). But this heat energy then moves into the food rather than staying in the oil, because the food is at a lower temp. So before the oil/butter can get hot enough to burn it has to heat the food up too. Eventually the oil/butter will get hot and burn….. along with the food.