Why Do Marshmallows Expand When Heated?

What happened when Jenavius placed a marshmallow in the microwave?

Jenavius placed a marshmallow in the microwave to make a smore for dessert. The marshmallow expanded when it was heated. How can you best describe why this happened?

A: As the marshmallow was heated, the particles moved faster increasing its volume.

Answer:

As the marshmallow was heated, the particles moved faster increasing its volume.

When Jenavius placed the marshmallow in the microwave, the high heat caused the molecules in the marshmallow to move faster and spread out. This increased movement of the molecules led to an increase in volume, resulting in the marshmallow expanding. The expansion of the marshmallow can be explained by the kinetic theory of matter, where the faster movement of particles due to heat results in increased volume.

As the marshmallow heats up, the sugar and water molecules inside it begin to move more rapidly. This increased movement causes the molecules to spread apart, leading to the expansion of the marshmallow. The expansion occurs from the inside out as the heat penetrates the marshmallow and causes the molecules to move and separate from each other, resulting in the marshmallow increasing in size.

Thus, the expansion of the marshmallow when heated is a result of the increased movement of molecules due to the heat, causing them to spread out and increase the volume of the marshmallow.