Observations:
If you have ever looked at a popcorn kernels, you have probably noticed that they are hard round little things. So why do these little kernels change into a puffy white edible food? Well have you ever thought about what is inside a popcorn kernel?
Well, one thing that you may or may not know about popcorn kernels are that they contain water! In fact, they contain about 13.5-14% of water.
So how does this water contribute to why a popcorn kernel pops?
Well, if you have ever made popcorn, you most likely have placed a bag that was bought from the store and have placed it into a microwave oven and turned it one for about 3 minutes.
Then, after these 3 minutes, you open the
bag and you have a bag of popcorn!
Explanations:
What happened to the bag when you placed it into the microwave?
Well, if you know how microwaves work, you know that a microwave causes things to heat up. As a result, the temperature, of the kernels has increased.
If the temperature is great enough, the water inside the kernel heats up and causes the water to turn into steam, which is gaseous water. This steam creates a pressure within the kernel. As a result, the pressure is increasing. This increase in pressure causes the kernel to explode and turn itself inside out!
Although this explains why popcorn pops, why don't all popcorn kernels pop when they are added to heat?
Well, in order for the popcorn kernel to pop, it must contain the right amount of moisture.