Science Has the Answer!
Continuing our sweet theme for February, we set out to solve an age-old mystery: “How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie® Pop?” For those who remember the classic commercial, it was a delicious question we could never answer—because, let’s be honest, who had the patience to resist biting into the chewy Tootsie Pop center?
Thanks to science (and the TRIBOTOUCH Hand Abrasion Tester, which, in this case, acted as a mechanical “tongue”), we finally have an answer!
The Experiment:
- A Tootsie Pop was secured in the TRIBOTOUCH vice clamp.
- A silicone pad covered with wool fabric, soaked in artificial saliva, simulated the tongue’s chemical and abrasive properties.
- A 2N load and 20 m/s speed mimicked the licking motion.
- Using the express slide, we periodically checked if the “tongue” had broken through to the Tootsie Roll center—then placed it back for continued licking.
So, how many licks did it take? Watch the video to find out!
Find out more about the capabilities of the TRIBOTOUCH Hand Abrasion Tester and the many applications it can be used for.
Talk to Tim to see how the TRIBOTOUCH can work for your application.