What happens when gummy bears are put in

What happens when gummy bears are put in water, salt water, vinegar, and baking soda water?

If gummy bears are soaked in liquids overnight, then they will expand in size.

• • • 4 clear cups 4 gummy bears 50 m. L of water tablespoon measuring cup • • • salt 50 m. L of vinegar baking soda metric ruler metric scale

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Gather four same-sized cups Pour 50 m. L of water into three cups Pour 50 m. L of vinegar into one cup Add a tablespoon of salt into one of the water cups and stir Add a tablespoon of baking soda into a different water cup and stir Gather four gummy bears (a red, an orange, a yellow & a green) Measure the mass (in grams) and length (in cm) of each gummy bear Then record results on data table Place the red gummy bear in the water cup Place the yellow gummy bear in the vinegar cup Place the orange gummy bear in the salt water cup Place the green gummy bear in the baking soda water cup After 24 hours, gently remove gummy bears from their respective cups Take new mass and length measurements and compare to previously collected data Record any additional observations

Control Variables: time and gummy bear *The amount of time between data collections will remain consistent at 24 hours. *Also, the brand of gummy bears used will remain the same. Black Forest gummy bears were tested in this experiment. Independent Variable: liquids being tested *50 m. L of water *50 m. L of salt water *50 m. L of baking soda water *50 m. L of vinegar

After 24 hours, all gummy bears increased in mass and in length. The least amount of change happened when the gummy bear was soaked in salt water. The greatest amount of change happened when the gummy bear was soaked in vinegar. See graphs for the measured changes.

All of the gummy bears expanded in size due to osmosis. Osmosis is the ability for water to be absorbed by seeping through a semi-permeable membrane. Gummy bears are made up of water, sugar, and gelatin. Like a sponge, gummy bears will absorb water but the gelatin keeps the bears from dissolving in the water. The gummy bears always grew the most in vinegar. The vinegar (which is actually a dilute solution of acetic acid) almost completely dissolved the gelatin which is why these bears were really falling apart!

Where else is osmosis useful in the real-world? Making tea is an example of osmosis because when tea bags are put in hot water, the tea dilutes to the rest of the water through the thin material of the bag. Storing iceberg lettuce and carrots in water keeps these vegetables crispy prior to making a salad.