Increasing the size of a piece of Popcorn

안용열저널클럽 2004.9.21.

What is ‘Popcorn’?

Popcorn is very famous food

When we watch movie..

An average american eats 59 quarts(~56 liters) of popcorn every

year.

Popcorn shrimp --;

Contd.

He appeared as a photographer in the drama “popcorn” before “the tale of autumn”

Popcorn art..They sell it!

They like it, too

.. And ancient food

http://www.goodbrush.com

• America may be the first place where people eat popcorn.

• Indians introduced the popcorn to europeans

• Indians used the popcorn even as an accessory!

.. It means that it’s easy to make

?

How to make a popcorn

--;;

How to make a popcorn (contd.)

--;;

How to make a popcorn (contd.)

“A Corn kernel”

Moist starch

“A Corn with oil” on fire

heat

FIRE ~_~a

Inside a corn with oil on fire

Water turns into vapor

pressure

Bang!!

Starch + Water vapor

P_Y

P_0

Basic Idea

• Water vapor expands rapidly when a corn is popped.

• Therefore, this is close to a perfect adiabatic process.

• How to make a ‘good’ popcorn?

Then, How to measure the ‘quality’ of a popcorn?

Records

Adiabatic expansion

(gamma for water vapor = 1.3)At time = 0

At time t_f when the expansion stops, P_Y

P_0

Theoretical Result

As P_0 gets lower, the final popcorn volume gets larger (so obvious ^^;;)

Popcorn Experiment

Dry(Mesh) vs. Oil popping

Experimental Result

How to eat a sweet popcorn?

• http://www.popweaver.com/recipes.htm : recipes• http://www.popcorn.org/frames.cfm?main=encyclopedia/index.c

fm : recipes

• Keep corn kernel in the airtight container. (Because without moisture, the kernel can’t pop)

• Rehydrate “Old maids” Do you want to lose some weight? Then use dry popper(air, mesh, microwave) without seasonings. (only 30 calories per cup) Or use this.

강냉이 ?

• It’s a different kind of corn• The name came from 강남 in China • It doesn’t pop in the normal air

pressure.• We must use popping machine

which control the pressure. • High p Low p : POP!

References

• www.popcorn.org• W. J. da Silva, B. C. Vidal, M. E. Q. Martins, H. Vargas, C. Pereira

, M. Zerbetto & Luiz C. M. Miranda , What makes popcorn pop , Nature,362,417, (1993).

• Daniel C. Hong and Joseph A. Both, Controlling the size of popcorn, PhysicaA,289,557 (2001).

• Paul V. Quinn Sr., Daniel C. Hong, and J. A. Both, Increasing the Size of a Piece of Popcorn, 0409424, (2004).

• www.google.co.kr