In the guest bedroom in the front of the house we have our “beverage center” which is a Hot Shot, Styrofoam cups, and a bunch of instant hot beverages. A hot shot is a little appliance that heats to boiling a single cup of water for instant coffee, tea, hot cocoa, etc.

For those unfamiliar with a Hot Shot, you pour a cup of plain cold water in the reservoir at the top, hit the start button, and in about 30 seconds the water is boiling hot. You put your cup underneath the reservoir and press the dispense button, and the boiling water drains into your cup.

OK, I have the background out of the way. The latest Styrofoam cups I bought were 16 ounces. I normally get the 12 ounce size. The 16 ounce cups just barely fit underneath. When I dispense the hot water into the cup, the foam cells in the cup expand just enough so that the cup presses up against the underside of the reservoir. I kind of have to squeeze the cup and tug it a little bit to get it out.

Just a little example of physics in real life that I thought was neat.