Interesting experiment on "Mythbusters"
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From: dlzc on 29 Nov 2009 13:17 Hello Androcles: On Nov 28, 11:38 am, "Androcles" <Headmas...(a)Hogwarts.physics_q> wrote: > "Cwatters" <colin.wattersNOS...(a)TurnersOakNOSPAM.plus.com> wrote in message > news:0J6dnWX5xsa20YzWnZ2dnUVZ8jidnZ2d(a)brightview.co.uk... > > "Androcles" <Headmas...(a)Hogwarts.physics_q> wrote in message > >news:1BWPm.35026$Z_5.25361(a)newsfe10.ams2... > >> A "gobstopper" or "jawbreaker" is a ball of > >> hard sugar (candy) which has shells (like > >> an onion) of different colours. Apparently > >> when one of these is placed in a microwave > >> oven the green layer will melt, and the child > >> who bites down on it is seriously burnt. .... > > Vids on you-tube suggest it depends on the > > make. With some types all the layers appear > > to melt. > > > They are made from sugar and Google > > suggests sugar absorbs microwaves > > (although opinions seem to differ). .... > Ok, but that doesn't explain why one sugar > ball should have the property that just one of > its shells should melt if all the shells are > sugar, and that is what happens AFAICT from > the program. If, for example, all the shells > were pastry except the sugar shell I wouldn't > be asking the question, but if all the shells > are sugar there has to be some other cause > for the green shell (and not the others) to > melt in the microwave chamber. > I seriously believe this should be investigated > further, because it seems that is not the sugar > but the green dye that is absorbing the > radiation. Well there are a couple of things that could make the "green layer" special. Being formed in layers, the production line may have stopped for some time after completing the green layer... or the inter-layer baking process may have fritzed, allowing additional moisture to stay with the green layer. Also it is possible that the green dye tends to be more hydroscopic, or the green-dye+sugar+water forms an azeotrope. The dye itself may be essentially transparent to microwaves... Just a couple more things for the investigation. David A. Smith
From: Androcles on 29 Nov 2009 14:32
"dlzc" <dlzc1(a)cox.net> wrote in message news:86d40e11-4ed5-417d-af95-2b14460205f2(a)s31g2000yqs.googlegroups.com... Hello Androcles: On Nov 28, 11:38 am, "Androcles" <Headmas...(a)Hogwarts.physics_q> wrote: > "Cwatters" <colin.wattersNOS...(a)TurnersOakNOSPAM.plus.com> wrote in > message > news:0J6dnWX5xsa20YzWnZ2dnUVZ8jidnZ2d(a)brightview.co.uk... > > "Androcles" <Headmas...(a)Hogwarts.physics_q> wrote in message > >news:1BWPm.35026$Z_5.25361(a)newsfe10.ams2... > >> A "gobstopper" or "jawbreaker" is a ball of > >> hard sugar (candy) which has shells (like > >> an onion) of different colours. Apparently > >> when one of these is placed in a microwave > >> oven the green layer will melt, and the child > >> who bites down on it is seriously burnt. .... > > Vids on you-tube suggest it depends on the > > make. With some types all the layers appear > > to melt. > > > They are made from sugar and Google > > suggests sugar absorbs microwaves > > (although opinions seem to differ). .... > Ok, but that doesn't explain why one sugar > ball should have the property that just one of > its shells should melt if all the shells are > sugar, and that is what happens AFAICT from > the program. If, for example, all the shells > were pastry except the sugar shell I wouldn't > be asking the question, but if all the shells > are sugar there has to be some other cause > for the green shell (and not the others) to > melt in the microwave chamber. > I seriously believe this should be investigated > further, because it seems that is not the sugar > but the green dye that is absorbing the > radiation. Well there are a couple of things that could make the "green layer" special. Being formed in layers, the production line may have stopped for some time after completing the green layer... or the inter-layer baking process may have fritzed, allowing additional moisture to stay with the green layer. Also it is possible that the green dye tends to be more hydroscopic, or the green-dye+sugar+water forms an azeotrope. The dye itself may be essentially transparent to microwaves... Just a couple more things for the investigation. David A. Smith ================================================ Yes, those are the sort of ideas I was looking for. Leaves and grass have evolved to green for a reason. The point is the microwaves are penetrating the outer shells and being absorbed at the green shell, which may by happenstance have a diameter that matches the wavelength of the radiation. We could be seeing resonance. |