• 05:32

  Strong Episode 3: Courtney

  31,276 Views

  By metaops

  Promoted

Watch as the inside of a SEALED banana is turned into an alcoholic treat.Is this science, or a clever trick?Watch and decide for yourself.This is also a great treat for your next party. Hand your guests one of these bananas and watch their surprised look when they open it and reveal what's inside!Yes, I know the end result looks gross and a little pornographic. Get your dirty mind out of the gutter!Since I can't seem to keep my comments around, the scientific explanation for what's happening inside that banana follows:In this experiment we have both water (H2O) and Vodka (ethanol).Because the peel of the banana is a semi permeable membrane, it allows the ethanol to pass through it. This is caused by the difference in the concentrations of salts inside and outside the peel.High concentration of potassium and other salts inside the banana and the low concentration of salts outside the banana will encourage the ethanol to pass through the peel into the banana to equilibrate the system.According to an article in Experimental Botany, 1980, volume 31, number 4, pages 975-982, the banana pulp will begin to leech electrolytes. The high concentration of potassium inside the banana will drop. This will also help the system come to equilibrium.The coagulation of the inside of the banana is readily dependent on the temperature of the system.Ethanol is a great solvent for biological molecules. It will dissolve some of the inside of the banana, but at the same time all the lipids will not go into solution. So it is no surprise that the ethanol makes the banana become 'softer.' It is essentially liquefying the inside.In the process, the transition temperature inside the banana has raised above the temperature in the refrigerator. Dropping the temperature will cause the lipids and the ethanol solution to congeal.Hence the 'gel-o-shot' like state. Simple science!