Abstract On a hot summer day, don't you just love opening a can of your favorite soda pop and taking a deep drink? The bubbles in the soda tickle your tongue's taste buds and propel the ingredients to your palate and nose so that you get a kick of flavor. But how do the bubbles, fizz, and taste get into the water? In this cooking and food science project, you will work with baking soda, citric acid, and sugar to create a your own soda pop. Once you develop your recipe, try it out on your friends and family. Who knows? You might create the next soda pop sensation!Objective To determine a ratio of baking soda, citric acid, and sugar that makes an enjoyable soda pop. Introduction A nice way to spend a warm and lazy Saturday afternoon is to go to your local park and have a picnic. What kinds of things would you take on your picnic? Potato salad? Sandwiches? Barbecued chicken? While everyone enjoys different picnic food, a lot of people also enjoy drinking a cool and refreshing soda pop. Just hearing the fizz and bubbles when you open a can or bottle can set your taste buds tingling! Did you know that the average American drinks 50 gallons of soda pop every year (Public Health Advocacy, 2009)? Soda pop is a delicious treat because it is cold, sweet, and available everywhere. But what is soda pop and is it easy to make? Soda pop is essentially carbonated water. Carbonated water is water into which a gas called carbon dioxide has been dissolved under high pressure. When you open a can or bottle of soda, the pressure is released and the carbon dioxide starts to come out of the solution. The escaping carbon dioxide is what causes the bubbles in the beverage. Figure 1 shows carbon dioxide bubbles escaping from a soda pop drink.
Carbonation also occurs in nature, when water underground comes in contact with a source of carbon, such as limestone. The reaction between the water, limestone, and the high pressure of the earth creates carbon dioxide and dissolves it into the water. When the water eventually rises to Earth's surface, the pressure is released and bubbly water is the result. In the 1700's, this naturally carbonated water was thought to be a healthy beverage that could cure all kinds of ailments like arthritis, indigestion, and constipation. In 1767, an Englishman named Joseph Priestley discovered a way to artificially carbonate water, which inspired many doctors and pharmacists to figure out ways to reliably carbonate large batches of water for their patients. By the late 19th century, there were soda shops and soda fountains in pharmacies (where Mom and Dad get the medicine prescribed by your doctor) all over the United States. Yes, that's right, in pharmacies. Why? Because carbonated water, or soda, was still considered to be a healing beverage! Pharmacists were actually the first people to create flavored sodas. They used crushed fruits, nuts, and roots to make the drink more tasty. In fact, pharmacists created most of the soda pop recipes with which you are familiar now. In this cooking and food science project, you will use baking soda (also called sodium bicarbonate), citric acid, and sugar to develop your own recipe for soda pop. When you mix baking soda and citric acid together with water, a chemical reaction (like the one in the earth, mentioned above) takes place that creates carbon dioxide. The results of two chemicals reacting together are called the products of the reaction. The chemical reaction when you combine baking soda and citric acid results in carbon dioxide, water, and sodium citrate as products. Sodium citrate, just like the others you'll be working with, is a harmless substance and is safe to eat or drink. How much of each ingredient will you need to make a soda that has a good amount of bubbly fizz and the right touch of sweetness? How long will the bubbly fizz last? Get your taste buds ready for an adventure! Terms, Concepts, and Questions to Start Background Research
Questions
Bibliography
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Materials and Equipment
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Experimental Procedure Making the Soda
Adding the Sugar
Analyzing Your Data
Equation 1:
Variations
Credits Michelle Maranowski, PhD, Science Buddies
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Food Science Technician Good taste, texture, quality, and safety are all very important in the food industry. Food science technicians test and catalog the physical and chemical properties of food to help ensure these aspects. |
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Food Scientist or Technologist There is a fraction of the world's population that doesn't have enough to eat or doesn't have access to food that is nutritionally rich. Food scientists or technologists work to find new sources of food that have the right nutrition levels and that are safe for human consumption. In fact, our nation's food supply depends on food scientists and technologists that test and develop foods that meet and exceed government food safety standards. If you are interested in combining biology, chemistry, and the knowledge that you are helping people, then a career as a food scientist or technologist could be a great choice for you! | |
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Dietitian or Nutritionist Ever wondered who plans the school lunch, food for patients at a hospital, or the meals for athletes at the Olympics? The answer is dietitians and nutritionists! A dietitian or nutritionist's job is to supervise the planning and preparation of meals to ensure that people—like students, patients, and athletes—are getting the right foods to make them as healthy and as strong as possible. Some dietitians and nutritionists also work to educate people about good food choices so they can cook and eat their own healthy meals. | |||
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