Final answer:
When hot water is splashed out of a mug in the cold air, it instantly evaporates due to the difference in vapor pressure between the water and the surrounding air.
Step-by-step explanation:
When boiling water is splashed out of a mug in the cold and instantly evaporates, it is because of the difference in vapor pressure between the water and the surrounding air. Water evaporates when its vapor pressure is higher than the pressure of the air, and this is more likely to occur at colder temperatures.
So, when the hot water is splashed out in the cold air, the vapor pressure of the water is higher, causing it to evaporate instantly.
Pouring cold water into hot glass or ceramic cookware can cause breakage due to thermal shock—rapid expansion or contraction that creates stress fractures.
Pyrex®, with its low coefficient of linear expansion, resists such breakage because it does not expand or contract as dramatically as other glass types.