Why does powdered hot cocoa mix dissolve in hot/warm milk better than cold/room temperature milk?!
Answers: For my chemistry class, I am supposed to figure out the reason that hot cocoa mix only dissolves in warmer liquids, and why it only "floats" on the tops of cooler liquids. Any answers?
Hey,
Scientifically speaking: Coco powder dissolves in a hot liquid better than cold because in a hot liquid the particles are moving faster, this creates more space in between particles for the coco powder particles to fill in. In a cold liquid there is not enough room for the coco particles to fit between the liquids particles to make a solution. Hope this helps, I'm doing a unit in science on solvents and solutions :)
The mix contains fat. The hot water softens the fat; cold water hardens it. It's the old "oil and water don't mix" phenomenon.
Also heat speeds up any reaction.
When you put a starch in cold liquid, the outside gets wet and expands, trapping the inside in before it gets a chance to have liquid reach it.. Therefore it gets trapped and that is how the clumping happens.