Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 1208.5925

Sticky physics of joy: On the dissolution of spherical candies

Andreas Windisch·Herbert Windisch·Anita Popescu
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Assuming a constant mass-decrease per unit-surface and -time we provide a very simplistic model for the dissolution process of spherical candies. The aim is to investigate the quantitative behavior of the dissolution process throughout the act of eating the candy. In our model we do not take any microscopic mechanism of the dissolution process into account, but rather provide an estimate which is based on easy-to-follow calculations. Having obtained a description based on this calculation, we confirm the assumed behavior by providing experimental data of the dissolution process. Besides a deviation from our prediction caused by the production process of the candies below a diameter of 2 mm, we find good agreement with our model-based expectations. Serious questions on the optimal strategy of enjoying a candy will be addressed, like whether it is wise to split the candy by breaking it with the teeth or not.

Explore related subjects

physics.pop-phphysics.ed-ph

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Andreas Windisch, Herbert Windisch, Anita Popescu. 2012-08-29. Sticky physics of joy: On the dissolution of spherical candies. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120%2F48%2F2%2F221

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Understanding Quaternions and the Dirac Belt Trick

The Dirac belt trick is often employed in physics classrooms to show that a $2π$ rotation is not topologically equivalent to the absence of rotation whereas a $4π$ rotation is, mirroring a key property of quaternions and their isomorphic cousins, spinors. The belt trick can leave the student wondering if a real understanding of quaternions and spinors has been achieved, or if the trick is just an amusing analogy. The goal of this paper is to demystify the belt trick and to show that it implies an underlying \emph{four-dimensional} parameter space for rotations that is simply connected. An investigation into the geometry of this four-dimensional space leads directly to the system of quaternions, and to an interpretation of three-dimensional vectors as the generators of rotations in this larger four-dimensional world. The paper also shows why quaternions are the natural extension of complex numbers to four dimensions. The level of the paper is suitable for undergraduate students of physics.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2026

Project Setu: 3D Multi-Physics Design and Scaled Structural Analysis for a Relativistic Lightsail Architecture

Deep-space exploration beyond the solar system requires eliminating chemical propellant mass penalties to achieve relativistic flight velocities (0.166c at 180 s, reaching the mission target of 0.20c at 227 s). This study presents a 3D multi-physics numerical framework for a 4.0-meter circular lightsail propelled by a 100 GW ground laser array, coupling 3D Maxwell FDTD wave optics, non-linear membrane mechanics, and Stefan-Boltzmann thermal radiation in ANSYS Mechanical APDL and Ansys Lumerical. A four-level grid convergence study establishes numerical independence with an ASME GCI_21 of 0.13%, resolving peak membrane stresses of 530.88 MPa with a 3.77x safety factor against stoichiometric Si3N4 tensile failure. With optical absorption constrained to 10 ppm (A = 1.0 x 10^-5), the steady-state core temperature stabilizes at 923.02 K (0.44% deviation from radiation theory), maintaining a +1,247 K margin below sublimation, while fundamental drumhead modal resonance (7.92 Hz) provides a 7.92x safety buffer against laser jitter. The electrodynamic radiation pressure formulation is cross-verified against published flight telemetry from JAXA IKAROS and NASA LightSail 2 within 0.12% and 2.13%, confirming classical momentum transfer modeling across solar and beamed propulsion regimes.

physics.pop-ph↗
arXiv2026

Sunsets, tall buildings and the Earth's radius

It is shown how repeated observations of the sunset from various points up a tall building can be used to determine the Earth's radius. The same observations can also be used, at some latitudes, to deduce an approximate value for the amount of atmospheric refraction at the horizon.

physics.pop-ph↗