gummy bear science lab - willow creek elementary...
TRANSCRIPT
Created by Sue Cahalane, Science for Kids
Gummy Bear Science Lab
Gummy bear lab Gummy bears do some amazing things when you
put them into different solutions! I use this lab to introduce my students to the scientific process.
I use Haribo brand gummy bears for this lab. Results may vary depending on brand. Make sure you check packaging for allergens!
I have my students work in pairs. The first thing we do is make some good observations of a gummy bear – appearance, length, width, mass. Then we set up the experiment. We set up 4 different conditions: 1 gummy in: 50 mls H20 50 mls H20 + 1 tbsp. salt 50 mls H20 + 1 tbsp. baking soda 50 mls vinegar We predict what will happen (worksheet provided). We leave the bears in each solution over night and record results the next day. (See data charts and graphs). Copy & laminate the sheet on the next page for each experiment. *Do not eat gummy bears after they have been soaked overnight!!
©2013suecahalane
©2013suecahalane
water
baking soda vinegar
salt water
©2013suecahalane
water
baking soda vinegar
salt water
©2013suecahalane
©2013suecahalane
Name _____________________________
Scientists make
predictions
Gummy bear in water
Gummy bear in baking soda Gummy bear in vinegar
Gummy bear in salt water
Scientists make
predictions! What do you
think will happen to the
gummy bears? Will they
grow? Shrink? Lose all
their color? Fade color
just a bit? Completely
dissolve in the liquid?
Slightly fall apart? Turn
into mush? Write your
predictions here!
©2013suecahalane
Name _____________________________
Scientists make
predictions
Gummy bear in water
Gummy bear in baking soda Gummy bear in vinegar
Gummy bear in salt water
Name ___________________________ Gummy Bear Science
List 4 observations of the gummy bear:
____________________ ____________________
____________________ _____________________ Question: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Hypothesis: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Experiment: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ___________________________________________
©2013suecahalane
Name ___________________________ Gummy Bear Science
List 4 observations of the gummy bear:
____________________ ____________________
____________________ _____________________ Question: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Hypothesis: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Experiment: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
©2013suecahalane
mass = 2 grams
length= 2 cm
color : red
soft, gelatinous
Will gummy bears change when kept in different
solutions overnight?
I think ...
4 beakers: 50 mls H2O, 50 mls H2O + 1 tbsp. salt, 50 mls 50 mls vinegar, 50 mls H2O + 1 tbsp. baking soda
©2013suecahalane
RESULTS
Record results:
Original Length
Day 2 Length
Change in Length
Physical Description
+H2O
+Salt H2O
+Vinegar
+Baking Soda
©2013suecahalane
Record results:
Original Length
Day 2 Length
Change in Length
Physical Description
+H2O
+Salt H2O
+Vinegar
+Baking Soda
©2013suecahalane
2 cm
2 cm
2 cm
2 cm 2.5 cm
4 cm
4.5 cm
3 cm +1 cm
+2.5 cm
+0.5 cm
+2 cm
Huge! No color change
Slightly larger, not as soft, no
color change Grew the
most! Extremely fragile and
soft, no color change
Slightly larger, lost
color
Record results:
Original Mass
Day 2 Mass
Change in Mass
Physical Description
+H2O
+Salt H2O
+Vinegar
+Baking Soda
©2013suecahalane
Results:
Original Mass
Day 2 Mass
Change in Mass
Physical Description
+H2O
+Salt H2O
+Vinegar
+Baking Soda
©2013suecahalane
2 g
2 g
2 g
2 g 2.5 g
8 g
+1 g
+6.5g
+0.5g
+6 g
8.5 g
3 g
Huge! No color change
Slightly larger, not as soft, no
color change Grew the
most! Extremely fragile and
soft, no color change
Slightly larger, lost
color
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
Liquids
Leng
th in
cen
timet
ers
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
2
3
0
+H2O +Salt H2O
+Vinegar +Baking Soda
Gummy Bears- Change in Length
©2013suecahalane
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
Liquids
Leng
th in
Cen
timet
ers
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
2
3
0
+H2O +Salt H2O
+Vinegar +Baking Soda
Gummy Bears- Change in Length
©2013suecahalane
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
Liquids
Mas
s in
Gra
ms
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
2
3
0
+H2O +Salt H2O
+Vinegar +Baking Soda
Gummy Bears – Change in Mass
©2013suecahalane
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
befo
re
afte
r be
fore
af
ter
Liquids
Mas
s in
Gra
ms
1
9
8
7
6
5
4
2
3
0
+H2O +Salt H2O
+Vinegar +Baking Soda
Gummy Bears – Change in Mass
©2013suecahalane
Conclusion:
©2013suecahalane
____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________
What is going on?!
©2013suecahalane
All of the gummy bears grew! This is because they contain an animal protein called gelatin. Gelatin is what makes gummy bears gummy. It makes the gummy act like little sponges - they absorb water and swell in aqueous solutions. Without the gelatin, the gummy bears would fall apart. They would just dissolve into the water and the water would turn red or green or whatever color the gummy was. The gummies always grow the most in vinegar. The vinegar (which is actually a dilute solution of acetic acid) almost completely dissolved the gelatin (acid breaks down proteins and gelatin is a protein), those bears will really be falling apart! Because the acid breaks down gelatin, there is room for more water to enter the gummy. The gummy bears do not grow as large in the baking soda and salt water.
Many refer to this experiment as an osmosis experiment – this is not correct. Osmosis requires the presence of a semi-permeable membrane. The gummy bears do not have a semi-permeable membrane in them. This is actually an example of diffusion. Diffusion occurs when molecules move from an area of high concentration to low concentration. It does not require the presence of a semi-permeable membrane. There is more water outside the gummy bear than inside the
bear, so water moves into the bear.!
Time Lapse Photos Using 2 Different Brands
of Gummy Bears
©2013suecahalane
The following 2 slides are time lapse photos of the gummy bear experiment so you can see the change over time. The best results occur after an overnight soak. I used Black Forest brand & Haribo, both have similar results. I put the gummy bears in water and photographed them after 5 time intervals. Please note, Black Forest brand says “Manufactured in a facility that also processes products containing soy, tree nuts, dairy, egg. Manufactured in a facility that uses
peanuts” . Haribo brand does not carry this warning at the time of this writing!
©2013suecahalane
©2013suecahalane
Thank you! Thank you so much for purchasing this unit! I hope you and your students enjoy the hands-on science activities.
Sue Cahalane Science Teacher Grades PK – 4
Please note: this unit is for the use of one educator. If you would like to share my lesson plans with a co-worker, your
team, your school, or your district, please purchase multiple licenses which are offered at half price.
On your “My Purchases” page, you’ll see that every product has a “Buy Additional Licenses” option. Click on that option & enter the
quantity of half-price licenses. Thank you so much!!
Sue from Science for Kids J
Terms of Use
• All pages are copyrighted. • This packet is 1 classroom/teacher use only. Do not make copies or
email it to your colleagues. This unit was designed by me and is for your personal (one user)use. You may
not share it or claim it as your own. You may not redistribute it. If colleagues are interested in it, please send them the link to my store:
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Science-For-Kids • You are not permitted to use any part of this packet to
create products for sharing or selling. • You are permitted to share the cover image of the packet on your website when referring to it in a post, as long as
you link back to my store. Copyright © 2013Susan Cahalane
All rights reserved by author.