Britanie Butts

Mrs. Cardellio, Period 4

Chemistry Honors
25 September 2014
The Gummy Bear Lab Report

Laboratory Experiment Guide Question:
What is the relationship between density and polymer structure?
Beginning Question:
What do you think will happen to a Gummy Bear when you put it in water overnight?
My initial thought was that the gummy bear would eventually explode.
Hypothesis: If I leave a Gummy Bear overnight in water, it will enlarge because the gelatin will
absorb the water.
Safety:
After youve measured the Gummy Bears mass on the balance, do not eat the gummy bear
because it is contaminated from bacteria previously on the balance from other experiments.


Test/Procedures:
Materials:
Ruler
Triple Beam Balance
Gummy Bear
Gummy Worm
Cup Water
Procedure:
Day 1
1. Measure the length, width, and thickness of the gummy bear and gummy worm.
2. Calculate the volume
3. Measure the mass of the gummy bear by placing it on the balance
4. Calculate density
5. Place gummy bear in 50ml cup of water
6. Leave in water overnight
7. Repeat for gummy bear
Day 2

1. Remove gummy bear and gummy worm from the cup
2. Dry off them gently
3. Repeat steps #1-4 from day one

Data and Observations:
Qualitative Observations:
Initially, the gummy bear was a dark red color. After the gummy bear was taken out of the water,
its color was a light pink color. Also the gummy bear was a lot more fragile than it was
previously. The same observations were for the gummy worm.
Gummy Bear Experiment Data:
Day Color Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Red 1.8cm .8cm 1cm 1.44 2.46 1.7
2 Pink 3cm 1.5cm 1.8cm 8.1 8.4 1.04

Gummy Worm Experiment Data:
Day Color Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Yellow/Orange 10cm .3cm 1.2cm 3.6 9.1 2.5
2 Yellow/Orange 14.9cm .5cm 2cm 14.9 31.6 2.1


Claims:
If I leave a gummy bear in water overnight the gummy bear will become larger. Also if I leave a
gummy bear in water overnight the mass will increase and the density will decrease.
Evidence:
From day one and day two, overall the gummy bear had enlarged. On day one, the length of the gummy
bear was 1.8 centimeters. Then on day two the length of the gummy bear was 3 centimeters. The overall
volume of the gummy bear was 1.4 on day one. On day two the volume was 8.1. Another example is the
gummy worms thickness. The thickness of the gummy worm was 1.2 centimeters on day one. Then the
thickness of the gummy worm was 2 centimeters on day two. The density of the gummy bear on day one
was 1.7. On day two the density was 1.0. Also the gummy bear was a lot more fragile on day two than it
was on day one. This shows my claim was correct; the mass will increase and the density will decrease.
Reading and Reflection:
My original hypothesis of what would happen when a gummy bear was left in water over night was
wrong. The concept of my original hypothesis was on the right track. The volume change was greater
than the mass change. There was a change in density; it became lower on the second day.
Gelatin is a translucent, colorless, tasteless protein from collagen that is water-soluble.

http://www.medicineonline.com/drugs/f/1580/FORTOVASE-saquinavir-SOFT-GELATIN-
CAPSULES.html
When adding water to gelatin, it expands and becomes larger. The atoms are farther away from
each other so it is not as strong as it was beforehand.
Relationship between density and gelatin polymer structure:
Density is the degree of the compactness of a substance. The polymer structure is the
arrangement of polymers in an atom. Density relates to gelatin polymer structure depending on
what state its in. The density determines what state of matter the gelatin is in.