Why does Jelly (jel-o) wobble?

Question

I need to know the structure.

Answer 1

because it is elastic !
All elastic material vibrate, when they are subjected to external force, this is because the force tries to move it to one direction, as elasticity kicks in, at some point it equals the force, then the potential energy with in the elastic pulls it back in the opposite direction ! much like a pendulum .
It doesn't wobble, if left alone , it only wobbles ( simple damped harmonic motion ) when it is shaken, or subjected to external force !

Answer 2

gel

coherent mass consisting of a liquid in which particles too small to be seen in an ordinary optical microscope are either dispersed or arranged in a fine network throughout the mass. A gel may be notably elastic and jellylike (as gelatin or fruit jelly), or quite solid and rigid (as silica gel, a material that looks like coarse white sand and is used as a dehumidifier). Gels are colloids (aggregates of fine particles, as described above, dispersed in a continuous medium) in which the liquid medium has become viscous enough to behave more or less as a solid. Contraction of a gel, causing separation of liquid from it, is called syneresis.

Answer 3

The inner portion of jelly is more liquid & less solid where the surface of jelly crystal acts more as a solid & less liquid, so when the inner molecules exert pressure to flow like a liquid the outer wall molecules prvent them as they maintain shape (as property of solids) & this what we see is wobbling jelly.

In short the bond between the molecules is more strong at the surface of jelly then its core...

Answer 4

i think it has to do with the intermolecular interactions(also reffered to as "attractive forces" b/w 2 molecules) in the jelly. as u might have observed, jelly behaves like a substance that is in a state b/w solids and liquids(this is the best way i could describe it). hence one could assume that the attractive forces are not very strong(not as strong as solids) but they r not as weak as liquids either. which is probably why is wobbles. u see it acts neither wholly as a solid nor as a liquid

Answer 5

Jelly, salad dressings, margarines and sauces are semi-solid foods containing combinations of colloidal ingredients. Interactions between proteins, polysaccharides and surfactants in these mixtures determine their textures and consistencies. Until now these interactions have been poorly understood

Answer 6

Jello "wobbles" because it's state is in a form very sensitive to gravity and inertia.

Answer 7

Pectin