Glass jars, while capable of maintaining the original taste and quality of food, can sometimes be a challenge to open due to their tight lids, unlike easy-open cans that only require pulling a ring. However, a simple method has been revealed by a professor in the UK to easily open glass jars. You might want to give it a try.
Hannah Fry, a mathematics professor at Cambridge University, recently shared a short video on social media demonstrating how to use a small trick to open glass jars.
Fry emphasized the importance of “brain over brawn” and “breath over muscle.” When struggling to open a jar, you can employ a scientifically proven technique to bid farewell to the frustration of jar-opening.
In the video, Fry showcased the technique. She advised taking a deep breath and then “exhaling with force” while twisting the lid.
Why does this method work? Fry explained that your arm is like a soft noodle, wiggling around with a soft backbone. Consequently, the arm needs a significant amount of effort to stay stable, which equals the energy required to open the lid.
She added that by taking a deep breath and holding it, filling your lungs with air to increase internal pressure, your torso effectively turns into a very rigid cylinder, a stable support point that can be used to open the lid.
Fry mentioned that weightlifters also utilize this technique. In fact, we instinctively apply this technique during intense physical activities. Specifically, when opening a jar, a twisting motion occurs, and your shoulders and spine need to counteract this twist.
“Muscles like the obliques and transverse abdominis are recruited to counter the twist – do you know which muscles are engaged when you exhale forcefully? Those are the muscles,” she said.
In conclusion, by exhaling strongly, you are preparing your body and locking in the support point to channel all the energy into opening the jar.
One internet user who tried this method commented, “I’ve always used this exhaling method, and it really works. Now that I understand the science behind it, it’s fantastic!”
Addressing the issue of stubborn glass jar lids, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in Japan previously shared a method that requires using a spoon.
The agency suggested gently tapping the edge of the lid with a spoon to create about 6 dents, allowing for a gap between the lid and the jar to release internal pressure, making it easy to open.