The Lollipop Hypothesis, NYU Researchers Use Candy To Determine How Fluids Dissolve Solids

Researchers at the NYU Applied Mathematics Lab wanted to understand the fluid dynamics of solvation and in order to make it “less boring”, they decided to use candy immersed in water as their medium with interesting results, including the determination that it would take 1,000 licks to get to the “Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Roll Tootsie Pop“.

The original inspiration for the study was not to look at candy itself but to look at the fluid dynamics of dissolving. It was a little more boring of a motivation but then later we realized that it would be fun to think about what it means to eat or consume candy. It turns out that studying lollipops dissolving applies to rivers eroding and pills dissolving in the body.

The original Tootsie Pop Commercial.

submitted via Laughing Squid Tips