Popcorn Facts
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:
- 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. - 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.)
- 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.
- Pre-heat the microwave oven by placing a cup of water inside the oven and heating it for one minute. Remove the cup carefully.
- 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.
- 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.
- Empty the popcorn contents into the two quart measuring cup. Measure the amount and record the number under Freezer Sample 1, Volume.
- Pour the same contents onto the cookie sheet. Separate the unpopped kernels from popped kernels.
- Repeat steps 6-8 with a bag of popcorn from the group in the refrigerator.
- Repeat steps 6-8 with a bag of popcorn from the group on the countertop.
- 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.
- 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?
