Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello. I am a current 8th grader and struggling to create a procedure to determine the amounts of caffine in coffee/engery drinks. Would caffine test strips work or is their another method?

Hello,

This sounds like an interesting project, especially as the popularity of energy drinks has increased. I think there are several ways to determine the amount of caffeine in a beverage but I'm unfamiliar with test strips. Start investigating with some web searches such as "determining caffeine in coffee" or determining caffeine in tea."

Do you have access to a science lab to conduct your experiment? You may need some specialized equipment not available at home depending on the method you choose.

Testing energy drinks could cause issues due to the many other ingredients often present (corn syrup, flavoring, other energy supplements, etc.) that could interfere with your test. It may be easier to test the caffeine content of brewed, black coffee or tea.

Good luck!

Audrey