How Does Poking Holes in a Potato Affect the way it Cooks in a Microwave? T. Grant Donley

Statement of the Problem Do potatoes cook better with or without hole in them?

Project Overview Potatoes without holes cook better than with holes.

Research  Potatoes without holes explode  Potatoes with holes cook better  Potatoes don’t cook well in the microwave  Potatoes shrink in the microwave  Potatoes shrivel up in the microwave

Variables  Independent variable: The holes in the potato.  Dependent variable: The hardness of the potato  Constant variables: Time potato cooked, temperature cooked at.  Control group: Potatoes without holes 

Hypothesis If I poke holes in a potato, it will be softer (Cook better), because the steam can escape.

Materials  6 potatoes, a microwave, a fork.

Procedure I.Get six potatoes II.Poke ten holes with a fork just barely puncturing the skin into three of the potatoes III.Cook one potato for ten minutes IV.Let microwave cool for thirty minutes V.Make observations of the potato VI.Record data VII.Repeat steps III-VI until all potatoes have been cooked VIII.Create chart

Data/Observations (Analyzes) No holes ANo Holes BNo Holes C10 Holes D10 Holes E10 Holes F Soft all the way through Soft burnt in middle Soft all the way through Completely burnt Soft all the way through No holes ANo Holes BNo Holes C10 Holes D10 Holes E10 Holes F  

Conclusion My hypothesis was disproven. My results showed that potatoes actually cook better without holes.

Possible Experimental Errors I could have cooked the potatoes too long or I could have used certain size or type of potato that cooks better with no holes.

Applications and Recommendations  I think that if this experiment is tested in the future the person conducting it should use bigger potatoes. In everyday life if you are cooking small potatoes in the microwave then you should not poke holes in the potato.

Works Cited  Works Cited  "Best Way to Microwave a Baked Potato? (10K)." BigSpud: The 'Biggest' Potato Recipes Collection. Web. 23 Jan  "Could a Baked Potato Explode in the Microwave? I've Heard It Can, but Has Never Happened to Me! | Answerbag." Answerbag.com | Ask Questions, Get Answers, Find Information. Web. 23 Jan  Crocker, Betty. Potatoes-white. Betty Crocker's Cookbook. New York: Golden, Print.  "Do Baked Potatoes Explode in the Microwave If Not Stabbed with a Fork? | ChaCha Answers." Questions & Answers | ChaCha. Web. 23 Jan  "How to Cook Baked Potatoes in the Microwave | EHow.com." EHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles. Web. 23 Jan  Leochko, Sylvie. "How To Cook The Best Baked Potato – Baking Potatoes, Recipe." How To Do Things » How To Articles & How To Videos. Web. 23 Jan  "Poking Holes in Potatoes (20K)." BigSpud: The 'Biggest' Potato Recipes Collection. Web. 23 Jan  Donley, Ted H. "Does Poking a Hole in a Potato Affect the Way It Cooks?" Personal interview. 24 Jan