Slapping Chickens: How Many Times Is Too Much?

A question posed on the 'No Stupid Questions' subreddit asked how hard one would have to slap a chicken to cook it. This sparked a flurry of calculations, experiments, and internet memes. While it is technically possible to cook a chicken by slapping it, the number of slaps required varies according to different sources and methods. Some calculations estimate that it would take 491,000 slaps, while others claim 23,034. YouTuber Louis Weisz attempted to cook a chicken by slapping it and found that beyond a certain point, the chicken would be reduced to pulp.

It would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken

It would take a lot of slaps to cook a chicken. A whole lot. In fact, according to Parker Ormonde, a physics major, it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken. That's assuming you could deliver slaps at incredible superhuman speeds. One average slap would generate a temperature increase of 0.0089 degrees Celsius.

Now, if you were to slap the chicken hard enough to cook it in fewer slaps, you would likely spray chicken everywhere, and you'd probably cook your hand in the process, too. Not to mention the possibility of shattering your arm bones. So, it's probably best to stick to the oven.

But, if you're determined to slap a chicken, you might want to consider using machinery or other cheat methods. YouTuber Louis Weisz, for example, built a chicken slapper machine that managed to raise the temperature of the chicken. However, he found that trying to raise the temperature beyond a certain point would reduce the chicken to pulp.

So, while it may be possible to cook a chicken by slapping it, the logistics are challenging, and the chicken may break far before it cooks.

YouTuber Louis Weisz created a chicken slapper machine

Weisz's machine was designed to help beat the chicken until its internal temperature reached 55 degrees Celsius for over 90 minutes. His first attempt involved a "slapping rig", which was essentially a paddle attached to a motor-powered robot arm. However, this initial rig did not provide enough force or speed to cook the chicken. Weisz explained that his setup needed a "faster slap rate", "better impact control", and "minimal heat loss".

After two months of adjustments, Weisz's machine successfully cooked a whole chicken with 6 hours and 135,000 slaps, maintaining a steady temperature of 55 degrees Celsius. To achieve this, he made a new robot arm out of aluminium and oak for increased power and rigidity. He also added adjustable spring steel strips to customise "slap depth" for improved impact control. Additionally, Weisz placed the chicken in an ultra-thin aerogel insulation pack to retain heat during the slapping process.

While Weisz's machine proved that it is possible to cook chicken through slapping, it is worth noting that the process is time-consuming and may not yield edible results. Due to a leak in the insulation, the chicken in Weisz's experiment was contaminated with fibreglass and aerogel, making it unsafe for consumption. Nevertheless, his experiment sparked creativity and curiosity, attracting millions of views and inspiring others to explore unconventional cooking methods.

The required slap speed is humanly impossible

The idea of cooking a chicken by slapping it has been floating around the internet for a while now. It was sparked by a question on the ''No Stupid Questions' subreddit, which asked, "If kinetic energy is converted into thermal energy, how hard do I have to slap a chicken to cook it?"

The required slap speed to cook a chicken is, indeed, humanly impossible. Parker Ormonde, a physics major, calculated that it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken. That's assuming you could deliver slaps at incredible superhuman speeds. One average slap would generate a temperature increase of 0.0089 degrees Celsius.

To cook chicken in one slap, it would require the velocity of 3725.95mph, which is far beyond human capability. Even if you were to slap the chicken at a speed of 5 meters per second, it would still take 491,000 slaps to cook it. This is because the chicken cools down between slaps, so your blows would have to be in extremely quick succession.

While it may be theoretically possible to cook a chicken by slapping it, the required slap speed is far beyond what any human could achieve.

The chicken will cool down between slaps

It turns out that cooking a chicken by slapping it is not just a meme, but a legitimate physics problem. The chicken needs to reach a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius to be cooked, starting at room temperature, which is usually assumed to be 25 degrees Celsius. This means that the chicken needs to be heated by 49 degrees Celsius.

Assuming that all the energy in the slap will be converted to heat energy in the chicken upon impact, the minimum velocity of the hand would need to be 3725.95 miles per hour. This is humanly impossible, and would also obliterate your hand and shatter your arm bones.

However, if you were to slap the chicken at a more realistic speed of 5 meters per second, it would take 491,000 slaps to cook the chicken. This assumes that 50% of the slap energy goes to the chicken.

The chicken may be reduced to pulp

Another source calculates that it would take 23,034 average slaps to cook a chicken, assuming that the slaps are delivered at incredible superhuman speed. This is because one average slap would generate a temperature increase of only 0.0089 degrees Celsius. This is a more achievable number of slaps compared to the previous estimate, but it is still a significant number, and the chicken may be reduced to pulp before it is cooked through.

The logistics of slapping the chicken also present challenges. One source mentions that the chicken often breaks before it is cooked through, and another source points out that the slapper may cook their hand in the process. These factors further increase the likelihood that the chicken will be reduced to pulp before it is cooked through.

Additionally, the slapping would need to be very precise to ensure that the energy is transferred effectively to the chicken. This precision may be difficult to achieve, especially as the chicken becomes softer and more pulpy with each slap. Overall, while it may be technically possible to cook a chicken through slapping, it is unlikely to be achieved in practice without reducing the chicken to pulp.

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