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Gummy Bear Science

Stem Activities

Ages: 6-8

Greater than 30 minutes

Grownup needed

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Three gummy candies sit on a white surface. From left to right, they are: a light green gummy bear that appears slightly melted, a translucent orange gummy bear, and a smaller, rectangular pink gummy candy that also appears somewhat melted. The image likely depicts a science experiment or demonstration involving the effects of heat or another factor on the candies.

What happens when you place gummy bears in different solutions? Will they grow larger or smaller? Through this fascinating gummy bear science experiment, we'll explore how molecules move and how they affect the size and shape of the sweets.

Materials Needed

Salt
Sugar
Cup of water
Three containers
Gummy bears
Tablespoon
Two cups

An assortment of ingredients and equipment are arranged on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. From left to right, there's a small clear measuring cup with a black measuring spoon inside, two slightly larger clear containers holding a granulated substance (likely sugar and salt), a tall glass of water, two small empty clear containers, and a clear glass bowl containing a handful of colorful gummy bear candies. This setup suggests preparation for a science experiment or kitchen activity, possibly involving dissolving the gummies or creating a solution.

Step-by-step tutorial

Step 1

Pour 90ml of warm water into a cup.

Water is being poured from a clear glass beaker into a clear glass measuring cup on a light woodgrain table. The measuring cup has milliliter and ounce markings, and the water level is rising as it's poured. The background is a plain off-white wall. This image likely depicts a step in a recipe or experiment where a precise amount of water is required.

Step 2

Add three tablespoons of salt and stir until no more salt dissolves - you now have a saturated salt solution.

A hand holds a black measuring spoon filled with white granulated material, likely sugar or salt, pouring it into a clear glass measuring cup containing water. The measuring cup sits on a light woodgrain table and has milliliter and ounce markings. The background is a plain off-white wall. This image likely depicts a step in a recipe or experiment requiring dissolving a specific amount of a dry ingredient in water.

Step 3

Use the same method to make a saturated sugar solution.

Two clear glass containers sit on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. The container on the left is a short, wide beaker holding a yellowish liquid, possibly oil or another similar substance. The container on the right is a measuring cup with milliliter and ounce markings, containing a clear liquid, likely water or a water-based solution. This image likely depicts the ingredients for a science experiment or a recipe involving the combination of these two liquids.

Step 4

Pour the prepared water, saturated salt solution, and saturated sugar solution into three separate bowls.

Three small, clear glass bowls containing clear liquids are arranged on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. The bowls are labeled from left to right: original, Salt, and Sugar. This setup suggests an experiment or comparison of how different solutes (salt and sugar) affect a liquid, likely water. The original bowl presumably contains the liquid without any added solutes.

Step 5

Place gummy bears into each bowl containing different solutions.

Three clear glass bowls are arranged on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. Each bowl contains a few gummy bear candies. From left to right, the bowls are labeled original, Salt, and Sugar. The gummy bears in the original bowl are green. The Salt bowl contains red gummy bears, and the Sugar bowl has orange gummy bears. This arrangement suggests an experiment to observe the effects of salt and sugar solutions on gummy bears.

Step 6

Leave for 24 hours and observe what happens to the gummy bears in different solutions.

Three clear glass bowls sit on a light woodgrain table against a plain off-white background. Each bowl contains a few gummy bears, and they are labeled from left to right as original, Salt, and Sugar. The gummy bears in the original bowl appear slightly swollen and maintain their original green color. The gummy bears in the Salt bowl are noticeably larger and a lighter, almost translucent pink color. The gummy bears in the Sugar bowl are also enlarged, but less so than those in the salt bowl, and have a pale orange hue. This image likely illustrates the results of an experiment demonstrating the effects of different solutions on gummy bears.

Step 7

The gummy bears' sizes have all changed after soaking.

A white, bear-shaped dish sits on a light woodgrain table. On the dish are three gummy bears labeled from left to right: original, Salt, and Sugar. The original gummy bear is green and appears relatively unchanged. The Salt gummy bear is orange and noticeably larger than the original, indicating it has absorbed liquid. The Sugar gummy bear is pink and significantly smaller than the original, suggesting it has lost liquid. This image likely displays the final results of an experiment showing the effects of salt and sugar solutions on gummy bears over time.

The Science Behind It:

When you put a gummy bear in plain water, you'll see it gradually grow larger as water flows into it. Why does this happen? Water moves to balance dissolved substances. There are more substances inside the gummy bear, so water enters the bear trying to maintain the same ratio of sugar molecules to water molecules between the two. You'll notice the bear in salt water has shrunk - why? Because salt molecules are much smaller than sugar molecules, more salt dissolves in the water. This means there are more dissolved substances in the water than in the bear. So water flows out of the bear, trying to balance the difference. What about the sugar water? Like salt water, there are many dissolved substances in the water, but we see water flowing into the bear rather than out. This tells us there's more sugar inside the bear than in the surrounding water.

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