Purpose
A fun expiriment to demonstrate how to slice a banana from inside, before peeling it.
Additional information
First domesticated in Paupa New Guinea, bananas are grown in more than 107 countries around the world, making it one of the most common and widley consumed fruits in the world.
Our Sponsors
Required materials
- Long sewing needle
- Small banana
Estimated Experiment Time
Less than 5 minutes
Step-By-Step Procedure
- 1. Carefully push the needle into one of the edges of the banana. Push it all the way in so it reaches the other side of the banana, but do not push through the skin of the other side. You'll feel a change in resistence once you hit the other side, so do this step slowly.
- 2. Move the needle up and down on it's pivot point (the point poking through the edge). This will cut and slice the banana inside.
- 3. Move to another point and repeat the process. As you move to the next section, keep about a finger's space between each hole. Make sure you only put the needle in one side of the banana so you can conceal the holes from friends or family.
- 4. Now peel the banana for your friends or family. They'll be amazed to find a perfectly sliced banana on the inside!
Note
Be careful with the needle! If you plan on eating the banana, make sure you run the needle through hot water first to steralize it and clean it BEFORE you slice your banana with it.
For added fun you can slice your banana in spirals! It's a little trickier, but if you move your needle to the left and right while moving the interior part slightly around, you can create banana slices. Give the banana to a friend or family member and watch their reaction when they peel the banana and banana slices slide out!
Observation
Why do you think you were able to slice the banana? Is it possible to conduct this experiment with any other type of fruit?
Result
Bananas are made up of thousands and thousands of tiny hairs, creatnig a soft interior that isn't found in other fruits. In fact, bananas are the only fruit this expiriment will work with.
Additional Resources
Take a moment to visit our table of Periodic Elements page where you can get an in-depth view of all the elements,
complete with the industry first side-by-side element comparisons!
