Why do cooked fishballs float in soup?

1. Density:

* Fishball Ingredients: Fishballs are typically made with ground fish, starch, and other ingredients. These ingredients have a lower density than water.

* Cooking Process: During cooking, the starch in the fishball absorbs water and expands. This further reduces the density of the fishball, making it lighter than the surrounding soup.

2. Air Pockets:

* During Formation: When fishballs are formed, they often trap air pockets within them. This air contributes to the fishball's buoyancy.

* Cooking: As the fishball cooks, the trapped air expands slightly, making the fishball even more buoyant.

In summary: The combination of lower density due to ingredients and trapped air pockets makes cooked fishballs less dense than the soup they are in, causing them to float.