• Question: What makes popcorn pop??

    Asked by benjb018 to Ben, Jony, Katharine, Mark on 23 Nov 2011.
    • Photo: Mark Basham

      Mark Basham answered on 23 Nov 2011:

      hi benjb018,

      Not entirely sure, but I think its to do with as you cook the corn, the inside expands with the heat, and the outside shell (the thin skin) doesn’t. At some point the forces inside the corn are too much for the skin, and it breaks apart and expands suddenly, which is a bit like a mini explosion. Its that which causes the popping sound, and makes the corn jump up.

Comments