The potato paradox
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OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.
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It's simple when you see it! :laugh: If I recall correctly, I scratched my head a fair amount the first time I saw this one.
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You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
That's more lettuce than potato. A potato will clock in at roughly 75% water (just a tad more than a human). Still a nice example where math beats intuition :thumbsup:
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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OK, so 100ib of potatoes, 99% water. That means that 1% is not water, and that weighs 1lb. If you reduce the water content to 98%, that doesn't affect the non-water part, so 1lb of the potatoes is now 2% of the total. If 2% of the weight is 1lb, then the total weight is now 50lb. For 97% you get 33.3lb, 96% gives 25lb, and so on.
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"To 98%" of what is the question. The original weight or the final weight. That wasnt specified. :)
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"To 98%" of what is the question. The original weight or the final weight. That wasnt specified. :)
Quote:
You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water.
That's pretty clear!
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Quote:
You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water.
That's pretty clear!
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Nothing is clear in the land of language....
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That's more lettuce than potato. A potato will clock in at roughly 75% water (just a tad more than a human). Still a nice example where math beats intuition :thumbsup:
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
These are 'mathematical' potatoes. :) But feel free to substitute with jellyfish if you want to.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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These are 'mathematical' potatoes. :) But feel free to substitute with jellyfish if you want to.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
Indeed.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Could as well have chosen a mathematical ball of lead with 99% water-content. --edit It is misleading, since we have some "experience" with potatoes not shrinking 50% when they lay in the basement.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
That's because they start out at 80% water, not 99%. And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:
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That's because they start out at 80% water, not 99%. And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:
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OriginalGriff wrote:
And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:
I keep potatoes in a dark and cool closet. After 3 months, they may have lost "some" weight, but not the same amount as your "mathematical" potatoes. Non-mathematical potatoes do not loose water in a mathematical linear way.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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OriginalGriff wrote:
And because nobody regularly checks their spuds for water content... :laugh:
I keep potatoes in a dark and cool closet. After 3 months, they may have lost "some" weight, but not the same amount as your "mathematical" potatoes. Non-mathematical potatoes do not loose water in a mathematical linear way.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
Eddy Vluggen wrote:
Non-mathematical potatoes do not loose water in a mathematical linear way.
Or as quickly - unless you use the fridge / freezer as a dehydration device, as you do for Triple-Cooked Chips, where reducing the volume of the chips before the final frying probably does approach 50%
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Eddy Vluggen wrote:
Non-mathematical potatoes do not loose water in a mathematical linear way.
Or as quickly - unless you use the fridge / freezer as a dehydration device, as you do for Triple-Cooked Chips, where reducing the volume of the chips before the final frying probably does approach 50%
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In which case you extracted more than 1% of liquid. This was also not about volume; are you sure the shrinking is due to the loss of water? Or could it just be a reaction of those sticks to sudden cold when taking out of the oil? :)
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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In which case you extracted more than 1% of liquid. This was also not about volume; are you sure the shrinking is due to the loss of water? Or could it just be a reaction of those sticks to sudden cold when taking out of the oil? :)
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
Nope: you cut 'em, you simmer them until soft, then cool and into the fridge for 4 or 5 hours. When they come out, they are already smaller as the fridge has reduced the water content. Low temperature fry - 130C - cool, and back in the fridge for another 4 to 5 hours. When they come out, they are significantly smaller than they started! Then the high temp fry - 190C - drain and serve. Damn good chips - but quite a palaver (especially making enough room in the damn fridge).
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Nope: you cut 'em, you simmer them until soft, then cool and into the fridge for 4 or 5 hours. When they come out, they are already smaller as the fridge has reduced the water content. Low temperature fry - 130C - cool, and back in the fridge for another 4 to 5 hours. When they come out, they are significantly smaller than they started! Then the high temp fry - 190C - drain and serve. Damn good chips - but quite a palaver (especially making enough room in the damn fridge).
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OriginalGriff wrote:
Nope: you cut 'em, you simmer them until soft, then cool and into the fridge for 4 or 5 hours. When they come out, they are already smaller as the fridge has reduced the water content.
So, you let them dry in your fridge and obsorb all the nice smells in there? :D
OriginalGriff wrote:
Low temperature fry - 130C - cool, and back in the fridge for another 4 to 5 hours. When they come out, they are significantly smaller than they started!
Which isn't very surprising after having been cooked, cooled, brought to cook in oil and cool again. Fact remains that it is not a mathematical potato, and that you removed more than 1% of liquid. As you probably know, lettuce IS mostly water, moreso than potatoes. Freeze your lettuce for an hour or four, then defrost. You'll find that those non-mathematical lettuce has lost more than just half of its water.
Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^] "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.
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You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Jörgen Andersson wrote:
No googling, ok.
Given that Google's conversion tool has been claiming that an imperial pint is exactly 500ml for several months at least, I'm not sure it would help anyway. :doh: 1 imperial pint in ml - Google Search[^] (See the description of the first result under the tool if you're not sure what the problem is.)
"These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer
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You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
Well idf they are 99% water, the water weighs 1v lb and the rest weighs 99lb. so if you extract 2% of the watere, the remaining weight would be 99 +0. 98= 99.98 lb.
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software
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You have 100 lb of "mathematical" potatoes, which are 99 percent water by weight. You let them dehydrate until they're 98 percent water. How much do they weigh now? No googling, ok.
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
I'll chime in before I read the subsequent posts: 98.9... lbs. [edit]OH - I'm so ashamed![/edit]
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
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Nope: you cut 'em, you simmer them until soft, then cool and into the fridge for 4 or 5 hours. When they come out, they are already smaller as the fridge has reduced the water content. Low temperature fry - 130C - cool, and back in the fridge for another 4 to 5 hours. When they come out, they are significantly smaller than they started! Then the high temp fry - 190C - drain and serve. Damn good chips - but quite a palaver (especially making enough room in the damn fridge).
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What oil do you use?
Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello
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Forgive me for being thick but I cannot get my head round that. In 100lb there is 1lb of starch and 99 lbs of water (yes?). So if you lose 1% of the water, isn't that just 1lb less than before?
Richard MacCutchan wrote:
So if you lose 1% of the water,
That's the point that sets you in the wrong direction. You didn't lose 1% of the water, but rather, changed the calculated (relative) percent of water to the whole, not to itself. (yes - you had other explanations, but this is just a thought-process notice)
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." - Albert Einstein
"If you are searching for perfection in others, then you seek disappointment. If you are seek perfection in yourself, then you will find failure." - Balboos HaGadol Mar 2010
