Gummy Bear Science
In this activity, you will
explore solvents and solutes.
Supplies Required
- 5 Gummy bears
- 1c water
- 1c saltwater
- 1c vinegar and water
- 1c baking soda and water
- 3 small paper cups
The Challenge
The best thing about gummy bears is that they’re squishy and gummy!
When you eat gummy bears, the saliva (spit) your mouth makes, and the acids in your stomach, break down the gummy bears. This process of you chewing, your saliva combining with the food you eat, and you swallowing the food down into your stomach where your body can break down foods into nutrients – or substances which give you energy and make you grow – is called digestion! The best type of energy for your body comes from fruits and vegetables!
We need you to be a scientist today! When scientists are in the lab, they need to make the formula – how much of each ingredient to add or take out – to make the right mixture that makes the gummy bears just right–not too soft and not too hard. We want you to do the opposite! What liquids, besides your saliva, can break down gummy bears?
Problem and Hypothesis
[contact-form-7 id="18628" title="STEM book form SCI 1"]Let’s Experiment and Build!
Instructions
- What do we want to solve? How do different liquids affect the gummy bears?
- Make a prediction! Which substance do you think will have the greatest effect on the gummy bear and why? What will each bear look like in each substance?
- Test it out and make observations! What do you see?
- Fill one cup with 1c water, another cup with 1c water and 4 tbsp salt, one cup with 1/2c vinegar and 1/2c water, and the last cup with 1c water and 4 tbsp baking soda.
- Place one gummy bear in each cup and watch.
- Set a timer and draw the bears at every 30 second mark.
- What bear dissolved the fastest? The slowest? Why do you think this happened?
Experiment, Analysis, and Conclusion
[contact-form-7 id="18626" title="STEM book form SCI 2"]Think about it and Additional Resources
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#GummyBear
#ProjectExploration
#StemAtHome
Tag a friend and challenge them to do it, too!
For more activities like this one, go to www.projectexploration.org/stemhome. If you’re interested in learning more about Project Exploration and our free events, programs, and activities, please find us on social media and be sure to follow!
Call or text us for help: 312-772-6634
In these videos, you will learn…
- How saliva works
- About digestion with Dr. Binocs