Why the Marshmallow Turns Golden
Smorty explains how heat turns sugar golden, and how an insulated garage door slows heat down.
Listen to this lesson
Read aloud by Smorty.
The Dessert Idea
Heat turns sugar golden brown, and the heat comes from the fire, not from touching it.
The Door Idea
Heat moves, and an insulated door slows it down.
The Lesson
Here is something about me: my top turns golden when it gets hot. Sugar is the reason. When sugar gets hot enough it melts, goes golden, then brown, and tastes toasty. Heat travels from the fire to the marshmallow, even through the air, which is why you can toast one a little way off. Heat moves in a garage too: on a cold night it slips out through a thin door, and a door with insulation inside slows it down, like a warm blanket.
Told by Smorty
Try It With a Grown-Up
A grown-up toasts a marshmallow at two distances from a campfire or a stove flame with a long stick. Is it faster close up or far away? Keep the friends well back; fire and hot things are for grown-ups.
Keep Exploring
This button opens another site, about how real garage doors work. Ask a grown-up first.
Learn more about real garage doors