Okay so this reminds me of something that happened in a college chemistry class and I was wondering if someone here can offer an explanation.

We were doing an experiment that first involved dissolving some copper into a solution, then chilling it to add another ingredient, then heating it on a hot plate. After doing all the other steps, I placed my beaker on the hot plate and turned around, then I heard a hissing sound. I turned back around just in time to see my beaker flying off the hot plate, off the counter, and smash on the floor.

My best explanation for this is that since the hot plate was already hot, some condensation from the previous chill step had dripped down, flashed to steam, and propelled the beaker off the hot plate.