Do you ever think about the physics in action within your breakfast? Sometimes, I do, especially after a spectacular failure, like when I attempted to microwave oatmeal. The day before, I boiled some oatmeal for my dog. He was taking antibiotics, and I could tell they were bothering his stomach. I thought maybe oatmeal might be soothing internally for him. I made him a serving and mixed a bit in with some chicken, but he wasn’t a fan. I decided to have the remaining oatmeal for breakfast the next day. Very tasty.
An Unexpected Science Experiment
I hadn’t had oatmeal for a while, so I decided to take the advice of all those nutritionists who say oatmeal is a healthy way to start my day. I put the half cup of oats into a bowl and added a cup of water. The directions said to microwave for 2 minutes, which I did. When the microwave dinged, I discovered none of the oatmeal was in the bowl but on the microwave plate. Fortunately, I had just cleaned that plate that rotates in the microwave the day before, so I knew I could eat my oatmeal off of it instead of out of the bowl.
Why had my oatmeal become an imitation of the ‘The Blob’? For those of you too young to remember the movie from 1958, a creature from outer space who resembles a giant blob of jelly lands on Earth. It’s a great movie starring Steve McQueen.
So, what about oatmeal causes it to behave this way? Oats are 40-60% starch, a carbohydrate that forms amylose and amylopectin granules. The starch in oatmeal swells in hot water and creates a gel. The air bubbles formed in the boiling water are then trapped in the viscous gel, preventing escape, forcing the oatmeal upwards and, eventually, outwards. I use water to prepare my oatmeal, but milk is often used. Milk will exacerbate the problem, making the oats even more gluey.
The oatmeal explosion occurs when the liquid boils too rapidly and has nowhere to go. Reducing the microwave power to 70-80% and stirring helps to suppress the oatmeal eruption.
When preparing your breakfast, it’s essential to remember the physics of your food. I don’t like starting the day with an explosion!
As a biologist, I love considering the science side of things, have a look at my other blogs for more great science content!
