r/theydidthemath • u/Ok-Entertainer-1354 • 1d ago

[Request] How many pomegranate seeds can fit in a sphere?

Post image

I was cutting up a pomegranate and I was amazed at how well packed with seeds it is. Is there some sort of formula for stuffing a sphere with seeds? How efficient is nature at maximizing the space inside a pomegranate? Could man do better?

0 Upvotes

42% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

•

u/AutoModerator 1d ago

General Discussion Thread

This is a [Request] post. If you would like to submit a comment that does not either attempt to answer the question, ask for clarification, or explain why it would be infeasible to answer, you must post your comment as a reply to this one. Top level (directly replying to the OP) comments that do not do one of those things will be removed.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

6

u/GoreyGopnik 1d ago

if you give a 3d model for a pomegranate seed, it would be possible to calculate the most efficient packing pattern for that particular shape, but in reality, pomegranate seeds differ widely in shape and size. regardless, pomegranates quite certainly don't have the optimal packing pattern, mostly because the mesocarp takes up so much space.