Studiegids

nl en

Complex Physics of Cooking

Vak
2024-2025

Admission Requirements

Mathematics and Physics at the level of VWO Wiskunde B en VWO Natuurkunde, respectively.

Description

When we cook, we often take soft, biological materials and manipulate them to create taste and texture that we like to eat. The physics underlying these processes as well as the actual experience of the prepared food is very rich and at the same time fundamental in nature. In this course, we use the science of cooking to introduce students to these fundamental concepts in soft condensed matter and biological physics.

Specific topics include:

  • Sauces to Gels: Networks and percolation

  • Fractal structures

  • Texture: Elasticity and viscosity

  • Visco-elasticity

  • From mayonnaise to bread: emulsions and foams

Course Objectives

On completing this course, you will know how to:

  • Describe networks and percolated states

  • Determine the fractal dimension of a structure

  • Determine the viscosity and elasticity of simple materials

  • Be familiar with basic mechanical models and their viscoelastic features

  • Identify and create a mechanical diagram to represent a material

  • Analyze basic structural characteristics of foams and emulsions

Timetable

Schedule
For detailed information go to Timetable in Brightspace

In MyTimetable, you can find all course and programme schedules, allowing you to create your personal timetable. Activities for which you have enrolled via MyStudyMap will automatically appear in your timetable.

Additionally, you can easily link MyTimetable to a calendar app on your phone, and schedule changes will be automatically updated in your calendar. You can also choose to receive email notifications about schedule changes. You can enable notifications in Settings after logging in.

Questions? Watch the video, read the instructions, or contact the ISSC helpdesk.

Note: Joint Degree students from Leiden/Delft need to combine information from both the Leiden and Delft MyTimetables to see a complete schedule. This video explains how to do it.

Mode of Instruction

See Brightspace
Lectures, tutorials (exercise classes) and homework assignments. The lectures, exercises and exam are in English.

Assessment Method

Written exam at the conclusion of the course.

There will also be homework assignments. Participation in the problem sessions and handing in homework assignments can earn you a bonus of maximally 1 grade point on top of the exam grade.

Reading list

Textbook: Science and cooking by Brenner, Sörenson and Weitz

Registration

As a student, you are responsible for enrolling on time through MyStudyMap.

In this short video, you can see step-by-step how to enrol for courses in MyStudyMap.
Extensive information about the operation of MyStudyMap can be found here.

There are two enrolment periods per year:

  • Enrolment for the fall opens in July

  • Enrolment for the spring opens in December

See this page for more information about deadlines and enrolling for courses and exams.

Note:

  • It is mandatory to enrol for all activities of a course that you are going to follow.

  • Your enrolment is only complete when you submit your course planning in the ‘Ready for enrolment’ tab by clicking ‘Send’.

  • Not being enrolled for an exam/resit means that you are not allowed to participate in the exam/resit.

Contact

Dr. Louise Jawerth

Remarks

You will learn to allocate your time to accomplish problem sets within their deadlines.

Software
Starting from the 2024/2025 academic year, the Faculty of Science will use the software distribution platform Academic Software. Through this platform, you can access the software needed for specific courses in your studies. For some software, your laptop must meet certain system requirements, which will be specified with the software. It is important to install the software before the start of the course. More information about the laptop requirements can be found on the student website.