Purpose

To determine the ‘half-life’ of popcorn. Un-popped kernels can be seen as being analogous to radioactive elements and the popped kernels as being their non-radioactive isotopes.

Materials

100 un-popped popcorn kernels
10 Small containers
Timer
Hot air popper
Large Bowl
Secondary Container

Method

1. Count out 10 un-popped kernels into each container
2. Place first container in hot-air popper and turn it on
3. Time until you hear or see 5 kernels pop
4. Record Time in chart below
5. Pour used popcorn into secondary container to aid in counting
6. Repeat steps 2-6 for each container of popcorn

Data Analysis

Discussion

We believe that the modes and the median are closer to representing the half-life of popcorn because of the initial outliers of test 1 and 2. With the first two tests, the popcorn maker was colder. If we were to run the tests again, we would warm the popcorn maker up, or alternatively, let it cool down to room temperature between each test. Generally, an increase in temperature, increases the rate of chemical reactions. Heat is generally a catalyst in chemical reactions. This leads us to the enquiry question: does environmental temperature affect the rate of radioactive decay in elements. If temperature has an effect on the rate of decay, then the rate of decay can only be constant if the temperature is constant. We asked the internet this question and found a consensus that temperature has little effect on nuclear decay based on a mathematical relationship and the excitation of a nucleus. It may take me several more years of study to understand this relationship, but I understand that the temperature would have to be huge, like that found with in a star, to affect nuclear decay. The environmental temperature doesn’t have to be that high to affect a popcorn kernel. Therefore, we can depend of radioactive dating because temperatures never reach that high on Earth.

Sources