Kitchen Mysteries
Here’s your chance to investigate and find the answer to your kitchen questions. Cooking is chemistry, but it’s also physics, microbiology, engineering, and more. Select a “kitchen mystery” and uncover the clues to help you solve it. Create a poster to illustrate your answer. You will also be doing a presentation for the class. Be sure to include scientific evidence to provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
1. What causes brain freeze?
2. Why do Pop rocks pop?
3. Why do apples turn brown when cut?
4. Why is string cheese stringy?
5. Why do onions make you cry?
6. Why are peppers hot?
7. Why do lobsters turn red when cooked?
8. How long does chewing gum stay in your stomach?
9. How can you bake ice cream?
10. How long is the shelf life of a Twinkie?
11. Why is tea good for you?
12. Can you fry an egg on the sidewalk?
13. Why do hot dogs plump when you cook them?
14. How does Jell-O gel?
15. What makes some chocolate dark?
16. Why does chocolate turn white-ish over time?
17. How do cucumbers become pickles?
18. Why can you blow bubbles in gum?
19. Why are some potato chips green?
20. Why don’t oil and water mix?
21. What makes soda fizz?
22. Why is chicken soup good for colds?
23. Why is coffee bitter?
24. How does marinating tenderize meat?
25. Why are cooking temperatures affected by altitude?
26. Why do eggs spin?
27. What makes Rice Krispies go “snap, crackle, & pop”?
28. Why do over-ripened bananas make better tasting banana bread?
29. Why does caffeine wake you up?
30. Why is flour dust explosive?
31. Why does chocolate make you happy?
32. Why do egg yolks sometimes turn green?
33. How does a tropical orchid become a favorite flavoring (vanilla)?
34. What makes Bleu cheese blue?
35. Why doesn’t milk separate?
Presentation to the class:
1. Prepare a 4-5 minute informative presentation about your kitchen mystery.
2. You may use your poster in the presentation.
3. You may do a demonstration of your kitchen mystery, if appropriate, or show examples or samples about your mystery, or show a video about your mystery. The video could be a demonstration you did at home or anything else that explains what your kitchen mystery is about.
Grading:
This project is a major grade. 60% will be the poster and all the information included on it. 40% will be your presentation. If you do not present on your assigned day, you will not be rescheduled and you will lose points. If you are absent your day to present will be the day you come back to school.
Have fun and figure out those mysteries!