I was just microwaving some popcorn -- one of my favorite snacks. I can
never get all the kernels to pop. Microwave the bag longer, and the
popcorn starts to burn. This has been a problem I've notices for decades.
I know that popcorn pops because the small amount of moisture in them gets
superheated when it's under high pressure. I read somewhere that "ideal"
popcorn kernels have a 14% moisture content. Does anyone know how this was
figured out? How can the moisture content of a popcorn seed be measured?
Also, are there "minimum moisture content" standards for consumer popcorn,
or are the seeds just harvested and sold knowing that a small percentage
will never pop? In theory, all "ideal" seeds should pop whether in oil,
hot air, a microwave bag, or Jiffy Pop. Interesting consumer physics!
Finally, does anyone do a popcorn lab when teaching about heat? I'm
interested is doing something different with my students next year. Maybe
mass the seeds, pop them, then re-mass to find the air content?