Can you fry an egg on the sidewalk?
It's a saying you have probably heard at least once throughout your life: "It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk."
While it is possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk on a hot day, it is unlikely. To be fully cooked, eggs must reach a temperature of 158 degrees, and sidewalks can reach temperatures of 145 degrees. The higher the temperature, the more probable your egg will fry.
More: What you need to know during Michigan's heatwave this week
It's also crucial to use a good heat conductor, such as a frying pan. A concrete sidewalk isn't the most efficient heat conductor. Although neither is blacktop pavement, it will warm up faster than the sidewalk.
The hood of a car, which is more analogous to a frying pan than pavement or concrete, is even hotter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Can you fry an egg on the sidewalk?
