Pop Goes the Particle: Tracking Thermal Energy from Hot Air to Popcorn Kernels
Science Lab · Grade 6 · ngss
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science_lab
Pre Lab
Background: Everything around you is made of tiny particles that are always moving. **Thermal energy** is the total energy of all the moving particles in a substance. **Temperature** measures how fast the particles move on average. Faster particles mean a higher temperature. When two things at different temperatures touch or share a space, energy always moves from the hotter object to the colder one. This movement of energy is called **heat**, or **thermal energy transfer**.
A hot air popcorn popper transfers thermal energy in several ways. Electric current warms a metal coil. Energy then moves into the air particles touching the coil by **conduction**, which is energy transfer through direct contact. A fan pushes the hot air up and around the kernels. This movement of hot fluid is called **convection**. When the fast-moving air particles collide with a kernel's outer shell, called the **hull**, they transfer energy into the kernel by conduction. The hot coil also gives off some energy as **radiation**.
Inside each kernel is starch and a small amount of water, about 14% of the kernel's mass. As the kernel warms, the water particles move faster and faster. At about 100°C the water begins to change into steam, a **phase change** from liquid to gas. The hull is tough and sealed, so the steam is trapped. The particles push harder and harder on the walls of the hull, and **pressure** builds. At about 180°C the hull bursts. The hot starch puffs out and cools into the fluffy white foam we eat. In this lab, you will plan a test to find out what happens to popping when the water or the seal of the hull is changed.
Vocabulary
Term: Thermal energy
Definition: The total energy of the moving particles that make up a substance.
Term: Temperature
Lab Type
Post Lab
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