A Wonderleaf question
Why does popcorn pop?
a real page from the book
Popcorn pops because each kernel holds a little water sealed inside a hard coat. Heat changes that water into steam, pressure rises, and finally the coat splits open, letting the softened starch burst outward into the puffy shape we eat.
A kernel that stays small often has a leaky or cracked coat, so steam slips away too soon. The popped white part is mostly starch stretched full of air, which is why it feels so light in your hand.
Wonder words
- kernel
- steam
- pressure
- starch
Try it out
Sort popped corn and unpopped kernels into piles, then compare their shells and shapes.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- Who invented pizza?
- How is chocolate made?
- How did people keep food fresh before refrigerators?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- How does food turn into energy?
One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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