Searching for a science project for class or for a science fair? Try some of these experiments and ideas using soda pop.
Flat Soda Pop
Did you know that the carbon dioxide in soda pop is under pressure? That’s why it dissolves in the water and forms bubbles. So then why does soda pop get flat? This soda pop science project will help you show what happens.
Open up a new large bottle of soda pop. Stretch the mouth of a balloon over the opening of the bottle. Every ten minutes, go back and look at the balloon, and record your observations. Eventually, you’ll find that the balloon inflates because the carbon dioxide that is dissolved in the soda pop is escaping. Try doing this project with several different types of soda pop to see which one loses carbon dioxide the most quickly.
Soda Pop and Bones
Read this article about the impact of soda pop on the bones of teenage girls . According to the studies, the phosphoric acid in soda pop is likely the cause of bone weakening in teenage girls. If you still want to drink soda in relative safety, you can check the levels of phosphoric acid in different types of soda pop to see which sodas are least likely to impact your bones. To do this experiment, you can use a pH meter or litmus paper to test the acidity of various types of soda pop. Remember to make a hypothesis first!
Taste Test
Have you heard people complain that generic bottles of soda pop just “aren’t the same” as brand name bottles? Test your friends to see if it’s really possible to taste the difference.
Select one brand name soda pop, such as Coca Cola or Pepsi, as well as several generic sodas with similar flavors. Pour a bit of each type of soda pop into a different cup, and label each of the cups with a different color. (Make sure to keep a list showing which color represents which type of soda pop.) Then have your friends taste each cup and guess which one is the name brand. Can they really tell the difference?
Did you try any of these ideas at the science fair? Let us know how they worked out or suggest your own ideas in the comments!
This post is part of the series: Fun and Simple Science Projects
The simple science projects in this series are easy to do - and they’re fun too! They include chewing gum science projects, soda pop science projects, magnet science projects, and making a DNA model for part of a science project.
