Researchers Reveal The Beautiful Physics Behind Popcorn
- 9 years ago
Popcorn kernels don’t just explode, they perform gymnastics-like moves while they do it.
Popcorn kernels don’t just explode, they perform gymnastics-like moves while they do it.
French scientists discovered this with the help of a high-speed camera, some microwaveable kernels, and a hot plate.
They recorded while the hard bits transformed into a fluffy, satisfying snack and then played the footage back.
Among the first surprises revealed was that the kernels began their metamorphosis by sprouting legs.
The starchy appendages were used, much like they are by humans, as a spring to lift the popcorn upwards.
Once in the air, the pieces did somersaults as they became fully formed nibbles.
That process is triggered by a single fracture in the outer shell, which takes only a very small portion of a second to form.
That’s not all the researchers learned.
They discovered that the popping sound does not directly correlate to the cracking of the hull, rather it occurs upon the r
Popcorn kernels don’t just explode, they perform gymnastics-like moves while they do it.
French scientists discovered this with the help of a high-speed camera, some microwaveable kernels, and a hot plate.
They recorded while the hard bits transformed into a fluffy, satisfying snack and then played the footage back.
Among the first surprises revealed was that the kernels began their metamorphosis by sprouting legs.
The starchy appendages were used, much like they are by humans, as a spring to lift the popcorn upwards.
Once in the air, the pieces did somersaults as they became fully formed nibbles.
That process is triggered by a single fracture in the outer shell, which takes only a very small portion of a second to form.
That’s not all the researchers learned.
They discovered that the popping sound does not directly correlate to the cracking of the hull, rather it occurs upon the r