This experiment is designed to be fun and educational, suitable for kids aged 5 to 11. It demonstrates the fascinating process of osmosis, where water moves through a semi-permeable substance.
Gummy Bear Osmosis Experiment
Objective:
To observe the effects of osmosis on gummy bears when placed in different solutions.
Materials:
- Gummy bears
- Water
- Salt
- Sugar
- 3 bowls or containers
- Ruler
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Paper towels
- Timer or clock
- Notebook for observations
Safety Precautions:
- Do not consume the gummy bears after the experiment, they may grow bacteria.
- Adult supervision is recommended, especially when preparing the solutions.
Experiment Procedure:
- Preparation of Solutions:
- Salt Water: Heat 1 cup of water and dissolve 7-9 tablespoons of salt in it to create a supersaturated salt solution. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Sugar Water: Repeat the process with sugar instead of salt to make a supersaturated sugar solution.
- Plain Water: Fill the third bowl with plain water.
- Vinegar: Fill the forth bowl with white vinegar.
- Setting Up the Experiment:
- Place a few gummy bears in each solution.
- Keep some gummy bears aside as control samples for comparison.
- Observation and Measurement:
- Measure the initial size and weight of the gummy bears and record these in your notebook.
- Observe the gummy bears at set intervals (e.g., every 12 hours) for up to 72 hours.
- Note any changes in size, weight, color, and texture.
- Results and Discussion:
- Plain Water: Gummy bears should swell as water moves into them, increasing their size and weight.
- Salt Water: Gummy bears might shrink slightly or show less swelling compared to plain water due to the high concentration of salt outside.
- Sugar Water: Results can vary. The gummy bears may swell if the concentration of sugar inside the bears is higher than in the solution.
- Vinegar: The acid in the vinegar breaks down the protein, allowing more water into the bear, but also causes it to lose its shape
- Understanding Osmosis:
- Discuss the concept of osmosis: the movement of water from an area of high water concentration to an area of low water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.
- Explain how the gummy bear acts as a semi-permeable membrane, allowing water to enter but not the larger sugar molecules.
- Conclusion:
- Summarize the findings and compare them with the initial hypotheses.
- Discuss why the gummy bears behaved differently in each solution.
- Extension Ideas:
- Experiment with other solutions like baking soda water, or different concentrations of salt and sugar.
- Measure and chart the changes in size and weight over time.
- Use colored bears and watch and discuss how the color changes, why does this happen?