# Exploding Jawbreaker Cruely Burns Child? LIKE FUCK IT DOES! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 19, 2003, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580 "2003-09-19T12:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/121 "2005-05-05T18:16:43Z")
> [@brownie55](#): > > Excuse me, but how does a microwave or toaster oven become the equlivalent of sitting in the sun? I won’t say it could not happen, but it still seems like a leap to me. The microwave doesn’t; however, the toaster oven and the sun both work with radiant heat. May not be a perfect match, but I think it is reasonable enough. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/122 "2005-05-05T18:34:16Z")
> [@Try As I Might...](#): > > The microwave doesn’t; however, the toaster oven and the sun both work with radiant heat. May not be a perfect match, but I think it is reasonable enough. If I leave bread behind the window on my kitchen table it sure as hell will not be golden brown when I get home. I don’t this is reasonable at all. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/123 "2005-05-05T18:55:58Z")
If you leave bread in a toaster oven at a low enough temp, it won’t be golden brown when you get home either. ---
**Author:** ![Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Try\_As\_I\_Might](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try_As_I_Might)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/124 "2005-05-05T19:00:00Z")
Well, obviously, the experiment could have been done in a way that better answers this OP. Certainly, going to Fl, Az, or Tx where the sun is strong enough would be ideal. They certainly could have tried to use a heat lamp or something to better approximate the sun. If I remember correctly, though, the question they were trying to answer is whether this is even possible no matter if it was microwaved or placed in the sun or whatever. They certainly showed it is possible that a jawbreaker can have a hard, thin outside with a molten inside. Whether the sun can do this in perfect conditions was not proven or disproven, but I think they showed that it is possible. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/125 "2005-05-05T19:01:29Z")
> [@brownie55](#): > > If I leave bread behind the window on my kitchen table it sure as hell will not be golden brown when I get home. I don’t this is reasonable at all. Yeah, but if you leave an ice cube there it will melt. The heat required to begin baking reactions is much greater than that required to simply warm up crystalized sugars until they expand. The only reason gobstoppers have a knack for exploding is the slight difference in heat retention and conductivity between the different layers. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/126 "2005-05-05T19:41:43Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > And you should be. > > Although I am quite suprised myself. > > Still, all in all, I was wrong, and I admit it. > > BTW–I saw Mythbusters myself, & thought: _OMG! I’m gonna get Pitted tomorrow!_ > > The only thing for it is to take these well-deserved jeers with what good grace I can. 🙂 Didn’t occur to you to fess up your mistake on your own? Everyone makes mistakes, and I’ve made my share of knee-jerk judgments, but accusing someone of torturing their kid with absolutely no basis is something I’d certainly want to apologize for. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/127 "2005-05-05T19:45:09Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Didn’t occur to you to fess up your mistake on your own? > > Everyone makes mistakes, and I’ve made my share of knee-jerk judgments, but accusing someone of torturing their kid with absolutely no basis is something I’d certainly want to apologize for. Without being called to task for it first, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/128 "2005-05-05T20:01:52Z")
> [@brownie55](#): > > If I leave bread behind the window on my kitchen table it sure as hell will not be golden brown when I get home. I don’t this is reasonable at all. Well, this [cite](http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4019065&src=Home&pos=Edit1) claims that the temperature of the dashboard of a car in the hot sun can reach 181 degrees. Not hot enough to bake bread, perhaps, but hot enough to cause serious burns. I think the theory is that the plastic wrap on the jawbreaker acts in much the same way as a closed car does – preventing air circulation and trapping the heat. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/129 "2005-05-05T20:53:34Z")
**Fiangle** even ignoring the air circulation and color issues 181 degrees still isn’t hot enough to boil water and it certainly isn’t hot enough to boil a sugar solution. At that temperature should be well below the boiling point of the liquid. There really shouldn’t be a significant pressure increase becuase water doesn’t expand that much until it boils. I seriously doubt that the center is completely full when its produced. The whole scenario just doesn’t seem plausible at all to me. The daughter claimed she took the jawbreaker and put it in the refridgerator. If it were to burst due to superheated water it should have done so when it was placed in there. Licking the jawbreaker shouldn’t have done anything to cause it to burst. They got samples of the substance that burned her so it should be easy to determine if it was the jawbreaker or not. The Myth Busters are not scientist and most likely don’t have an understanding of the chemistry and science behind their expirement. IIRC all they did was show that a jaw breaker got hot when you microwaved it or put it in an oven. Well no shit. That does not mean sunlight would heat a jaw breaker up past 212 degrees F and subsequently cause the jawbreaker to burst. ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/130 "2005-05-05T21:05:43Z")
I watched the show last night myself… and of the clips they had of the 2 kids that got burned (independently), BOTH said that they had placed the jawbreakers in the microwave. So I think the radiant heat theory is a moot point. I believe they just wanted to fine other ways this might happen… ie the other theory of caustic soda… ---
**Author:** ![Whammo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8dc957/32.png) [@Whammo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whammo)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/131 "2005-05-05T21:09:35Z")
> [@treis](#): > > IIRC all they did was show that a jaw breaker got hot when you microwaved it or put it in an oven. Well no shit. That does not mean sunlight would heat a jaw breaker up past 212 degrees F and subsequently cause the jawbreaker to burst. It exploded violently enough to send 2 people screaming and running towards cold water. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/132 "2005-05-05T21:37:08Z")
I’m sorry \*\* Whammo \*\* but is there something you misunderstood about my statement? What happens when you microwave a jawbreaker has very little to no bearing on the effect of putting it in sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/133 "2005-05-05T23:18:37Z")
[Mythbusters website info on the Jawbreaker experiment](http://www.mythbustersfanclub.com/html/exploding_jawbreaker.html) for those who are interested. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/134 "2005-05-05T23:26:38Z")
> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#): > > Didn’t occur to you to fess up your mistake on your own? > > Everyone makes mistakes, and I’ve made my share of knee-jerk judgments, but accusing someone of torturing their kid with absolutely no basis is something I’d certainly want to apologize for. When confronted by convincing evidence, on Mythbusters, I did. The next time I logged on. But I didn’t make a special trip to the computer. I do have other things to do, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/135 "2005-05-06T16:12:53Z")
[QUOTE=CarnalK] I alsways heard it “if you see hoof prints”. But anyway, I don’t think they teach doctors to assume their patients are lying. 😉 QUOTE] Actually, yes they do. The only doctors that are not trained to assume the patient is lying are veterinarians. And they are taught that often the owner is lying. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580/136 "2005-05-06T18:46:30Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > The only thing for it is to take these well-deserved jeers with what good grace I can. 🙂 Actually, the thing to do is next time you’re absolutely convinced of something, remember not to be such a strident asshole. It shows just how much you talk out of your ass that you could be so sure about something you obviously knew nothing about. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/exploding-jawbreaker-cruely-burns-child-like-fuck-it-does/202580.md?page=6)