Slapping Chickens: How Many Slaps Are Too Many?

A question posted on the subreddit r/NoStupidQuestions sparked a quest for answers that has captivated social media and inspired several attempts to cook chicken by slapping it. The question was: If kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy, how hard do I have to slap a chicken to cook it? According to Parker Ormonde, a physics major, it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken, with a velocity of 3,725.95 mph. YouTuber Louis Weisz, known for his wacky experiments, built a chicken-slapping machine that managed to raise the chicken's temperature.

The required velocity of a slap to cook a chicken in one hit

Cooking a chicken by slapping it has been a topic of interest for many, with some even experimenting with machines to achieve this feat. The question remains: what is the required velocity of a slap to cook a chicken in one hit?

To answer this, we must consider the energy required to heat the chicken. The energy of a moving object, or kinetic energy, is given by the formula (1/2)mv^2, where m is the mass of the object in kilograms and v is the velocity in meters per second (m/s). Using this formula, we can calculate the velocity needed to transfer enough energy to cook the chicken.

Let's assume our chicken breast starts at room temperature, around 25°C, and we need to heat it to a minimum of 74°C to safely cook it. That's a temperature increase of 49°C. Now, let's consider the average human hand, which weighs around 400 grams or 0.4 kg. Using the kinetic energy formula, we can calculate the velocity needed to generate enough heat to cook the chicken.

According to one calculation, the required velocity to cook a chicken in one slap would be approximately 409.25 m/s or 1473.7 kilometers per hour. This is an incredibly high velocity, far beyond the capabilities of a human slap, which typically reaches velocities of around 11 m/s or 25 mph. To achieve such a velocity in a slap would be humanly impossible, and attempting to do so would likely result in the chicken being sprayed across the room and your hand being cooked in the process.

In conclusion, while it may be theoretically possible to cook a chicken with a single slap, the required velocity of over 1400 kilometers per hour is far beyond human capability. It is important to approach such problems with a sense of creativity and caution, as attempting to achieve such extreme velocities could result in undesirable outcomes, as some experimenters have discovered.

The number of average slaps needed to cook a chicken

Cooking a chicken by slapping it has been a topic of discussion and experimentation on the internet for several years. The question was initially posed in a subreddit, r/NoStupidQuestions, where a user asked: "If kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy, how hard do I have to slap a chicken to cook it?".

The question sparked a quest for answers, with many people attempting to cook chicken through slapping. Parker Ormonde, a physics major, calculated that it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken, with each slap generating a temperature increase of 0.0089 degrees Celsius. This would require a velocity of 3725.95 mph, which is humanly impossible and would result in the chicken being sprayed across the room and the slapper's hand being cooked.

YouTuber Louis Weisz, who is known for his unusual experiments, decided to take on the challenge of cooking a chicken through slapping. He spent two months building a chicken-slapping machine and, after many trials, managed to raise the chicken's temperature to the required level. Weisz's machine delivered a minimum of 135,000 slaps across eight hours, demonstrating that it is possible to cook a chicken through slapping, albeit with the assistance of machinery.

While it may be physically impossible to cook a chicken with the required number of slaps using only one's hand, the question and subsequent experiments highlight an interesting application of physics and the concept of converting kinetic energy into thermal energy.

The temperature required to cook a chicken

Cooking chicken is a simple task, but it requires precision to ensure the chicken is cooked properly and is safe to eat. The temperature required to cook chicken depends on the method used.

If you are cooking a whole chicken, the oven should be preheated to a temperature between 350-425 degrees Fahrenheit. A 3-pound chicken will take a little over an hour to cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. However, if you prefer crispier skin, you can roast the chicken at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-60 minutes. The chicken is done when the meat is no longer pink at the bone, and the juices run clear. To be sure, an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius).

It is important to note that the internal temperature of the chicken continues to rise even after it is removed from the oven. Therefore, it is recommended to take the chicken out of the oven when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, as it will continue to cook and reach the desired temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Now, let's address the question of slapping a chicken to cook it. While it may seem like a creative solution, the physics behind it presents some challenges. To cook chicken in a single slap, an incredibly high velocity of 3725.95 mph is required, which is humanly impossible. Additionally, the energy from the slap would result in cooking your hand as well. A more realistic approach would be to deliver a series of slaps in quick succession, but calculations estimate that it would still take an enormous number of slaps, ranging from 23,034 to 491,000 average slaps, to cook a chicken.

In conclusion, while slapping a chicken to cook it may be theoretically possible, it is not a practical method. The preferred approach is to use conventional cooking methods and follow food safety guidelines to ensure the chicken reaches the desired internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

The cooling of the chicken between slaps

The chicken needs to reach a temperature of around 74 degrees Celsius or higher to be considered cooked. This means that the chicken's temperature must be raised by around 55 degrees Celsius, assuming a room temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

To prevent the chicken from cooling between slaps, one could attempt to insulate the chicken to retain its heat. This could be done by slapping the chicken inside an insulated container or wrapping it in insulating materials. However, this would also make it more challenging to deliver the slaps with the required force and speed.

Another strategy to minimize heat loss is to ensure that the slaps are delivered in rapid succession. The faster the slaps are administered, the less time there is for the chicken to cool down between each slap. This would require a well-coordinated and swift slapping technique, or perhaps the use of a mechanical slapping device.

Additionally, one could consider pre-heating the slapping surface or hand to a higher temperature before making contact with the chicken. This would help to transfer more heat to the chicken with each slap, potentially reducing the total number of slaps needed. However, this approach must be balanced with the need to prevent the chicken from reaching temperatures that would cause it to burn or char.

In conclusion, the cooling of the chicken between slaps is a significant challenge in the attempt to cook a chicken through slapping. Strategies such as insulation, rapid slapping, and pre-heating the slapping surface can help mitigate heat loss, but they also introduce new complexities to the process.

The possibility of using a slap machine

The idea of cooking a chicken by slapping it gained popularity after a physics major, Parker Ormonde, calculated that it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken. This sparked a flurry of attempts by people to cook chicken in this unconventional way, with many failing despite their best efforts.

The challenge lies in generating enough kinetic energy to increase the temperature of the chicken to a level that is considered cooked, which is approximately 74 degrees Celsius or higher. Each slap transfers some of its kinetic energy to the chicken as thermal energy, but the amount transferred is relatively small. To make matters worse, the chicken cools down between slaps, requiring extremely quick succession of slaps to be effective.

The sheer number of slaps required and the speed at which they need to be delivered present a daunting task for anyone attempting to cook chicken by hand. This has led some inventive individuals to explore the possibility of using a slap machine to automate the process and overcome human limitations.

One notable example is YouTuber Louis Weisz, who took on the challenge and shared his journey in a YouTube video. Weisz spent two months designing and building a chicken slapper machine that could deliver a rapid succession of slaps. His persistence paid off, and he successfully managed to raise the temperature of the chicken with his slap machine.

The use of a slap machine introduces new possibilities for cooking chicken by slapping it. By automating the slapping process, the machine can deliver slaps at a much faster rate than humanly possible, addressing the issue of the chicken cooling down between slaps. However, there are still challenges to be addressed, such as ensuring that the slaps are evenly distributed across the chicken to ensure thorough cooking.

While the idea of using a slap machine to cook chicken may seem far-fetched, it showcases human ingenuity and the desire to explore unconventional solutions to everyday problems. It also highlights the importance of understanding the underlying scientific principles, such as kinetic and thermal energy transfer, which can lead to innovative applications beyond just cooking chicken.

Frequently asked questions