soda machine experiment

7th-Grade Science Fair Projects With Sodas

Soda is a popular concoction for use in 7th-grade science projects. Soda can be used in experiments on chemical reactions, dental hygiene and carbonation. Soda is also a safe substance to manipulate, making it a perfect experimental material for middle-school students. Many science projects with soda can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Chemical Effects

There are endless potential science experiments related to the chemical effects of soda. Many science experiments attempt to create chemical reactions by combining soda with other substances. The combination of Mentos and diet Coke can create a harmless but impressive-looking eruption. There are many urban myths related to Coke's alleged use as a cleaning agent. These myths could be used as the starting point for a myth-busters experiment, where students attempt to determine whether Coca Cola can be used to clean various substances from various surfaces. Projects like these are perfect the 7th grade because they are risk free, yet exciting.

Dental Hygiene

Carbonated beverages are infamous for causing tooth decay and other undesirable dental conditions. A science fair experiment on soda and tooth decay could track the effects of soda on teeth, using pictures from a dental records book. Another science fair project on soda and tooth decay could examine the effects of soda by exposing a model tooth (made of porcelain or another enamel-like substance) to daily doses of soda. Seventh-grade students should not attempt dental hygiene experiments on real teeth; teenagers typically have sensitive teeth that recover poorly from damage.

Carbonation

Carbonation is one distinguishing feature of soda. Sodas were among the first beverages to be carbonated, and are still among the only sweetened, nonalcoholic beverages that are mass produced around the world. A science project on soda carbonation could examine how long it takes for a carbonated soda to go completely flat, or could track the rate of decarbonation for soda compared to a different beverage (e.g., champagne). For students with a larger budget, an attempt to "revive" a flat soda with a carbonation machine could be an ideal project on carbonation.

Physical Properties

There are many possible projects on the physical properties of soda. One such project could test whether diet and regular sodas dissolve differently in water. Another project could test whether soda floats or dissolves in salt water. There are endless possibilities for projects on the physical properties of soda, as there are innumerable other substances with which soda interacts. These projects are perfect for 7th graders, who are expected to know the difference between physical and chemical properties.

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Cite This Article

Button, Andrew. "7th-Grade Science Fair Projects With Sodas" sciencing.com , https://www.sciencing.com/7thgrade-science-fair-projects-sodas-8112193/. 24 April 2017.

Button, Andrew. (2017, April 24). 7th-Grade Science Fair Projects With Sodas. sciencing.com . Retrieved from https://www.sciencing.com/7thgrade-science-fair-projects-sodas-8112193/

Button, Andrew. 7th-Grade Science Fair Projects With Sodas last modified August 30, 2022. https://www.sciencing.com/7thgrade-science-fair-projects-sodas-8112193/

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How to Make a Self Freezing Coca-Cola (Or Any Instant-Soda Slurpee)

Introduction: How to Make a Self Freezing Coca-Cola (Or Any Instant-Soda Slurpee)

Step 1: Watch the Video!

Step 2: self freezing soda.

Step 3: Supercool Your Soda

Step 4: Things to Try

Step 5: More Things to Try

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Make a Slushy Instantly With Soda and Supercooling

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Cool off and amaze your friends by making any soft drink or soda turn into a slushy on command. Here's how to do this fun and refreshing supercooled science project.

Instant Slushy Materials

Any soda or soft drink works for this, but it works especially well with 16-ounce or 20-ounce carbonated soft drinks. It's also easiest to use a beverage in a plastic bottle.

If you don't have access to a freezer, you can use a large container of ice. Sprinkle salt on the ice to make it extra cold. Cover the bottle with the ice.

Make a Soda Drink Slushy

This is the same principle as supercooling water , except the product is more flavorful. Here's what you do with a carbonated soda, such as a bottle of cola:

• Start with a room temperature soda. You could use any temperature, but it's easy to get a handle on how long it takes to supercool the liquid if you know your approximate starting temperature.
• Shake up the bottle and place it in a freezer. Do not disturb the soda while it is chilling or else it will simply freeze.
• After about three to three and a half hours, carefully remove the bottle from the freezer. Each freezer is a little different, so you may need to adjust the time for your conditions.
• There are a couple of different ways to initiate freezing. You could open the cap to release pressure, reseal the bottle, and simply turn the soda upside down. This will cause it to freeze in the bottle. You could gently open the bottle, releasing pressure slowly, and pour the soda into a container, causing it to freeze into slush while you pour. Pour the drink over an ice cube to get it to freeze. Another option is to slowly pour the soda into a clean cup, keeping it liquified. Drop a piece of ice into the soda to initiate freezing. Here, you can watch the crystals form outward from the ice cube.
• Play with your food! Try other drinks to see what works best for you. Note that some alcoholic drinks don't work for this project because the alcohol lowers the freezing point too much . However, you can get this trick to work with beer and wine coolers.

You can make instant slush in cans, too, but it is a bit trickier because you can't see what is going on inside the can and the opening is smaller and harder to crack without jarring the liquid. Freeze the can and very gently crack the seal to open it. This method may take some finesse, but it works.

How Supercooling Works

Supercooling any liquid is chilling it below its normal freezing point without turning it into a solid. Although sodas and other soft drinks contain ingredients besides water, these impurities are dissolved in the water, so they don't provide nucleation points for crystallization. The added ingredients do lower the freezing point of water ( freezing point depression ), so you need a freezer that gets well below 0 degrees C or 32 degrees F. When you shake up a can of soda before freezing it, you're trying to eliminate any large bubbles that could act as sites for ice formation.

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Glitter On A Dime

A blog about being crafty & having fun even on a budget!

Soda Geyser Eruption Experiment – Science for Kids

July 16, 2019 by Glitter On A Dime

Science Week started off with a blast! This is quickly becoming my favorite week of DIY Summer Camp . We kicked it off with a Soda Geyser Eruption Experiment. Have you tried this? It is so easy and the kids loved it! Like with most of our activities, it is extremely inexpensive and simple to set up.

Do your kids enjoy science? Even if they don’t, they will enjoy this. My kids love anything they can mix together or that creates a chemical reaction. That is how I knew this would be a hit.

This post does include affiliate links. That means I could earn a tiny portion of any sale that is made through clicking on any of these products with no additional cost to you. All support is greatly appreciated!

Supplies for Experiment

To create the Soda Geyser Eruption Experiment, you only need two ingredients and one supply item.

• 2 Liter Bottle of Soda (Regular or Diet)
• Mentos Candy

I purchased the store brand soda and it worked great! At only 59 cents a bottle, I decided to buy two. We used a regular and a diet to form a hypothesis on which one would how the largest explosion.

Preparing for the Experiment

We started this experiment by placing about seven pieces of the Mentos candy on a piece of tape. You could use any tape for this part. The purpose of the tape is to make it easier for the child to drop it down into the soda bottle.

Once you have the tape of Mentos candy, it is time to take this experiment outside! Open the bottle of soda and place it on the ground. Make sure you don’t shake the bottle because it could effect the outcome of the experiment.

Once the bottle is securely on the ground, let the child drop the tape of Mentos candy into the bottle. Everyone should step back and enjoy watching this process. It doesn’t take but a second for the eruption to begin!

Experiment Success!

Once the bottle starts spewing it is amazing to watch! The picture doesn’t do it justice so I posted a video below. Are you curious which soda had a more powerful explosion? Regular or Diet? In conclusion, the regular soda was actually more explosive in our experiment.

Why does this experiment work? We knew it had something to do with the carbonation in the soda bottle. For the full explanation on this reaction, we read about it on Compound Interest . They give a very thorough answer with great visuals.

I thoroughly enjoy finding fun activities like this one to do with the kids. I want them to continue to be explorers and enjoy learning and experiencing new things. The best part of doing a little experiment like this is watching their minds expand right in front of you eyes!

Once we finished the Soda Geyser, they continued to discover and explore in the backyard. They added dirt, rocks, little pine cones, and sticks to the bottle of leftover soda. Of course there wasn’t any sort of chemical reaction but it was still fun!

Once we were back inside later working on another experiment, Gavin asked me what would happen if we put the Mentos into vinegar. We enjoy the reaction of baking soda and vinegar and I think he wondered if it would do the same thing. So I let him drop some candy into a cup of vinegar. Again, there was no reaction but now we know!

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Science Projects > Chemistry Projects > Bubbles & Baking Soda Science Project  

Bubbles & Baking Soda Science Project

Floating bubbles.

Using baking soda and vinegar, you can make ordinary soap bubbles stay afloat.

Watch as the bubbles stay in midair, not sinking or falling to the ground.

What You Need:

• ¼ cup baking soda
• ¾ cup vinegar
• Bubble solution
• Bubble wand
• Large, clear bowl

What You Do:

1. Put the baking soda into the bowl, then slowly pour in the vinegar until the mixture is bubbling quite a lot, but not overflowing.

2. Blow bubbles with the wand into the bowl with the fizzing mixture. The bubbles should float, rather than fall to the surface of the mixture.

What Happened:

When baking soda and vinegar are put together, they create a chemical reaction that fizzes a lot, but also forms a gas called carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is slightly heavier than air, which is mostly nitrogen and oxygen. Since the bubbles you blew into the container are filled with air, they float on the layer of carbon dioxide gas that the baking soda and vinegar created.

Soapy Science

If you like, try making your own bubbles with soap and water! This project is best done on a clear, windless day, but when it’s raining outside, try blowing bubbles near the kitchen sink or bathtub.

• ¼ cup of liquid dishwashing soap
• 1 cup of room temperature water
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (such as Karo) or 2 tablespoons liquid glycerin
• Baking pan or shallow container
• Bubble wand*

*You can make your own bubble wand using simple household materials. Use a plastic straw, a cardboard carton (such as a small cream or half & half container) with the top and bottom cut off, or a wire hanger or pipe cleaner bent into a circular shape.

In the baking pan, gently stir the corn syrup or glycerin and the dish soap into the water, until well mixed. For best results, cover the bubble solution with plastic wrap and let it sit at room temperature for several hours or overnight.   To make the best bubbles, dip your wand into the mixture, slowly pull it out, wait a few seconds, and then blow. How big of a bubble can you make? How many bubbles can you make in one breath?

You may have noticed that when you blew into the square bubble wand, a spherical or round bubble came out! This is because as you blow air into the soap film, it surrounds the air by taking up the least surface area it can, which is in a perfect sphere shape.   If you blow too hard, the soap film on the wand will pop, because it cannot stretch enough to hold that quantity of air.

Why are bubbles so colorful? The light reflecting in the layer of water sandwiched between thin layers of soap makes rainbow patterns! Sunlight is made up of all colors of light mixed together. When bright light bounces off tiny drops of water, it breaks into colored rainbows of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

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