When you buy a variety bag of candy why does candy, like chocolate wrapped in plastic, absorb the flavor of other candy (also wrapped in plastic) like mint or licorice?

439 views

When you buy a variety bag of candy why does candy, like chocolate wrapped in plastic, absorb the flavor of other candy (also wrapped in plastic) like mint or licorice?

In: Other

Anonymous 0 Comments

Through a process called [diffusion](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion).

All objects are made up of molecules (atoms arranged and combined in certain ways) and the molecules are more or less loosely held together. However the molecules are constantly moving around, the warmer it is the more the molecules will move.

Sometimes this leads to a molecule managing to break free and move away from the rest and thus different objects will swap molecules with each other over time.

For this to happen the objects need to be in direct contact with each other, like candies in a mixed bag, and time for diffusion to occur.

Diffusion is also the reason why for example salt is dissolved evenly in water, the salt will spread from areas where there already is a lot of salt to areas where there is less salt.