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Potato skewer

Potatoes are quite hard when they’re raw. Straws are fairly weak and bend easily. Can an ordinary straw pierce a raw potato? Try it out with this experiment!

Step by Step

Requirements chevron down

  • A potato (elongated)
  • Straight straws (or cut off the flexible part)

Instructions chevron down

  1. Hold the potato firmly in your hand. Make sure to grip it at the end.
  2. With your other hand, take a straw. Push the straw forcefully into the potato. What happens?
  3. Now take a new straw and cover the opening with your thumb.
  4. Push this straw hard into the narrow end of the potato. What happens this time?
  5. Feeling confident? Feeling confident? You might even want to place a little bet.

This is what your potato looks like after the experiment!

Aardappel

Why did that happen?

A soft straw can’t win against a hard potato. If you don’t cover the hole, the air simply passes through the straw and the straw bends on the potato.
When you place your thumb over the straw, the air is trapped. The air is compressed, giving the straw extra strength. It becomes a sturdy tube.
The air pressure inside the straw increases when it meets the potato. Now the straw has become strong enough to go straight through the potato.