Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________________ Score: _____/_____

4.7 Lab: Percentage of Water in Popcorn

Curriculum Expectations: A1-2,4,8,10,11,13; D.1.1; D2-1,2,3

Learning Goals

• Find the mass, molecules and percent composition of water in popcorn

• Calculate the percent error – comparing your results to industry standard
• Analyze results and suggest improvements to the inquiry to reduce error

Mind’s On

Video 1: Popping Popcorn in Ultra Slo-Motion: https://youtu.be/FSZd33awqQk
Video 2: Why Some Kernels Don’t Pop: https://youtu.be/xw87efvHxQA

Introduction

There is some chemistry behind the cooking process of popcorn. Popcorn
kernels contain around 14% water by mass. As they are heated, this water
heats up and vaporises; however, the water vapor is trapped inside the
kernel, and the continued heating increases the pressure inside the kernel’s
shell. When the temperature inside reaches around 180˚C, the starch inside
the kernel melts and the pressure from the water vapor causes its shell to
crack.

The popping noise that accompanies this is not, as might be expected, the sound of the kernel’s shell cracking but
rather a consequence of the release of the pressurized water vapor. As it is released, the cavity inside the kernel
acts as an “acoustic resonator”, which is what amplifies the sound of the pop and makes it audible. During
heating, the starch inside the kernel becomes molten, and when the kernel pops it quickly escapes, rapidly cools
down, and solidifies to form the popcorn’s characteristic fluffy shape.

Moisture loss increases the number of unpopped kernels. Unpopped kernels can crack teeth, destroy fillings and
cause choking. Food chemists in the US have discovered a way to maximise corn's pop-ability. The data suggest
that cellulose in the pericarp is responsible for the development of exothermal events and increased crystallinity.


Purpose

Today, curious and popcorn loving grade 11 chemistry students will determine the percentage of water in
popcorn and compare it to the suggested value of 14%. Students will then calculate how many water molecules
are in a bag of popcorn.

Materials

1 package of microwave popcorn microwave balance

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 Procedure

1. Weight a package of popcorn. Remove the outer wrapper first. Record the mass in the Data Table.
2. Microwave popcorn for 2.5 to 3 min, according to the directions.
3. Open the package and let the contents cool for 2 minutes. Be careful to avoid the hot steam coming out
when you open it.
4. Weight the popcorn bag again. Record the mass in the Data Table.
5. Eat the popped corn. Measure the mass of the empty bag. Record the mass in the Data Table.
6. Clean all work surfaces and wash your hands thoroughly before leaving the laboratory.

Pre-Lab

Carefully read the introduction, purpose and procedure for this lab. Complete the online pre-lab quiz found
under the Quizzes tab on D2L. You only get one attempt.

Observations/Data

Follow the procedure and record all your measurements/data.

Table 1: Mass of unpopped and popped kernels with bag
Step 1 Step 4 Step 5

mass of unpopped kernels in bag (g) mass of popped kernels in bag (g) mass of the empty bag (g)

Table 2: Mass of unpopped and popped kernels
mass of all unpopped kernels (g) mass of popped kernels (g)

Calculations

Complete the calculations for this lab:

a) mass of water in popcorn kernels that escaped as vapor (g)





b) the percentage (%) of water in the popcorn






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 c) number of water molecules:






d) percent error calculations








Post-Lab Questions

Answer the following questions below.

Once done, complete the post-lab quiz found under the Evaluations. You only get one attempt to complete the
online Post-Lab: Popcorn quiz.

1. Did all the popcorn pop? Why or why not? Give & explain 2 possible reasons.


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2. How could you increase the number of popped kernels? Give one good and simple solution.

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3. How does the presence of unpopped kernels in the popped bag affect the percentage composition of the
water you calculated? Explain if the calculated % water is higher or lower if not all the kernels were popped.


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Further Reading:
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/11/physicists-reveal-the-secrets-
of-perfect-popcorn/
• https://knowledge.carolina.com/discipline/physical-science/the-science-of-popcorn/

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