why does fried food such as french fries float when it is done?

Answer 1

The outside seals and the water inside boils causing things to puff up, reducing density. Entrapped air will also expand from the heat.

Answer 2

When the fries go in they are frozen and contain mostly water as do similar food items that are fried. In order to float, an object must have a boyancy force greater than its weight. This can be calculated by taking the weight of liquid displaced by its volume as shown by Archimede's Principle. As observed through experiment, when water and oil are mixed the oil will float on the water as it is lighter; you may have see this when cooking. Now that we know that the frozen water in the fries is denser than the oil, we can assume that as they are cooked the water is heated and due to the lower boiling temperature of water, the water reaches the gas phase first and escapes the oil resevoir of the fryer. Thus the fries are slowly filled with oil and they begin to float. In order for this to happen, it must also be true that the volume of liquid occupied by potato cells and molecules weighs less than if that same volume were occupied by oil; thus creating a boyancy force. Other factors may exist such as molecular spacing once heated and the addehesion of vapor moleclues within and on the surface of the fries as the water within them experiences the solid > liquid > gas phase change.

Answer 3

Because the water gets eveporated out of it and it becomes more hollow, therefore lighter than before.

Answer 4

Because oil (what they are fried in) is less dense than water.

Answer 5

because there is so much fat in it. try pouring oil on top of water and the oil will float on top.

Answer 6

The water is gone.

Answer 7

because the crunchier they get the stronger they get and less dense so they are more heavier at the end

Answer 8

because there lighter than the oil when cooked

Answer 9

Fat floats my friend. Buoyancy.