Johann Gottlieb Leidenfrost

Johann Gottlieb Leidenfrost was a German physician and scientist known for discovering the phenomenon now called the "Leidenfrost effect." This occurs when a liquid comes into contact with a surface much hotter than its boiling point. Instead of instantly evaporating, the liquid creates a vapor layer that keeps it from touching the surface directly. This vapor layer causes the droplet to skitter and last longer on the hot surface. The effect helps explain how some liquids can seem to dance or jump when placed on very hot objects, and has applications in cooling technologies and heat transfer analysis.