Increasing the size of a

piece of Popcorn

안용열
저널클럽 2004.9.21.
What is ‘Popcorn’?
Popcorn is very famous
food
When we watch movie..

Popcorn shrimp --;

An average american
eats 59 quarts(~56
liters) of popcorn every
year.
 Contd.
He appeared as a photographer
in the drama “popcorn” before
“the tale of autumn”
They like it, too

Popcorn art..
They sell it!
 .. And ancient food
• America may be the first
place where people eat
popcorn.

• Indians introduced the

popcorn to europeans

• Indians used the popcorn

even as an accessory!

http://www.goodbrush.com
.. 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

pressure

Water turns into

vapor
 Bang!!
P_0

P_Y

Starch
+ Water vapor
 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
P_0

At time t_f when the expansion stops, P_Y

 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/in
dex.cfm
: 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. P
ereira , M. Zerbetto & Luiz C. M. Miranda , What makes pop
corn 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, Increasin
g the Size of a Piece of Popcorn, 0409424, (2004).
• www.google.co.kr