Science Project: The Effect of Temperature on Popcorn

Find out how popcorn changes when it's popped from frozen, cooled, or room temperature kernels. You'll need a day to let the seeds get to their respective temperatures before popping.

Materials needed:

  • 16 bags of Pop Weaver® Gourmet Microwave Popcorn
  • microwave oven
  • 2 quart measuring cup
  • 1 cookie sheet

Instructions:

  1. Work up a data chart to record your results. Take a sheet of paper and write out rows down the page for your control variables and columns across the top for your results. Your control variables are Refrigerator Samples 1-5, Freezer Samples 1-5, and Counter Samples 1-5.

    Your four results columns are Volume, Number of Unpopped Kernels, and Kernel Size.
  2. Prepare the popcorn. Label and place five bags of popcorn in the freezer, five in the refrigerator, and five on a counter top. (You'll use the remaining bag to test your microwave for cooking time required.)
  3. Leave the bags in the freezer and refrigerator and at room temperature for 24 hours. This ensures that the popcorn reaches the correct temperature for each test group of bags.
  4. Pre-heat the microwave oven by placing a cup of water inside the oven and heating it for one minute. Remove the cup carefully.
  5. Put the test bag of popcorn (bag 16) in the microwave and set it to high (Full Power) for five minutes. When you hear the popping rate slow to 2-3 seconds between pops, stop the microwave and remove the bag. Record the time it took to cook the popcorn, and use that time for the rest of the bags.
  6. Pop the first bag of freezer popcorn (Freezer Sample 1), setting the time according to your test bag. Remove the bag carefully, and wait until popping stops.
  7. Empty the popcorn contents into the two quart measuring cup. Measure the amount and record the number under Freezer Sample 1, Volume.
  8. Pour the same contents onto the cookie sheet. Separate the unpopped kernels from popped kernels.
  9. Repeat steps 6-8 with a bag of popcorn from the group in the refrigerator.
  10. Repeat steps 6-8 with a bag of popcorn from the group on the countertop.
  11. Continue to test one bag at a time - first with a freezer bag, then a refrigerator bag, then a countertop bag, until all bags are used up.
  12. Compare the information for the original group of 5 bags and record your observations on the data chart.

Questions for discussion:

  • Which resulted in fewer unpopped kernels: frozen, refrigerated or room temperature kernels?
  • Which group resulted in higher volume of popped corn?
  • At what temperature should popcorn be stored for maximum yield?

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