• Question: What makes Jelly wobbly and bobbly?

    Asked by pugsnotdrugs to Alison, Artem, Caroline, John, Gunther on 20 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Artem Evdokimov

      Artem Evdokimov answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      Excellent question. Jelly is wobbly because most of it is in fact water – structured water that is held together by protein chains that form a mesh of strands that hold the rest of the jelly (water) in place. The resulting behavior is similar to behavior of liquids to some extent (jelly deforms and can flow under some conditions). Jelly is loose enough that it responds to vibration, often in the form of resonance – it amplifies vibrations and makes even tiny tremors visible 🙂

    • Photo: John Short

      John Short answered on 20 Jun 2012:

      To add to Artem’s answer, Jelly “wobbles” because jelly is a liquid (water) and a solid (the protein or gelatin) mixed together.

      This very viscous solution than has high cohesive properties. Long strands of gelatin reach across and around whatever shape it is molded into.

      The material is very flexible and easily displaced. However, the cohesion makes it elastic, and it will rebound in other directions until the energy is dissipated by friction between molecules in its structure.

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