Sugar Experiments
Sugar is not just a sweetener for food. Sugar can be used in numerous science experiments to teach children things such as measuring sugar content or crystallization. Though some of these sugar experiments will require adult supervision, these experiments can be used for both a science fair and an at-home project.
Other People Are Reading
-
Rock Candy
-
Rock candy is created from a process called crystallization. This project takes about seven days to complete and can be done for a science project or just a tasty treat. When creating rock candy, a parent should supervise the cooking portion of the project. Gather a clean mason's jar, granulated sugar, water, measuring cups, a string, a weight and a pencil (see Resources). Add the sugar to boiling water, then pour into the jar and cover with waxed paper. Dip the weighted string into the sugar solution, then remove it and lay it aside to dry. Dip the dried string into the solution again, and leave it there for about seven days. Watch as crystals form during the process.
Sugar Affecting Melting Ice
-
Majority of people are aware that ice melts. Whether they have seen it in their glass of water or placing an ice cube on the counter, ice eventually melts. An experiment to try for a science project is measuring the effects of sugar on how fast the ice will melt. Apply this experiment to a theory about how sugar affects frozen foods by mixing sugar and water together and then freezing it. Compare how fast sugar-water ice cubes melt with the melting speed of plain-water ice cubes. Use different levels of sugar to measure just how much sugar it takes to affect the overall melting rate.
-
Dissolving Sugar
-
Examine the effects of hot water on dissolving sugar cubes. This project requires a clear glass full of hot water, several sugar cubes, a spoon and cold water. The experiment measures how many sugar cubes can fully dissolve in a glass of cold water versus a glass of hot water.
Sugar Content in Soda
-
Most people have tried soda at least once. Try an experiment to measure how much sugar is in one can of soda. Though this seems like a difficult experiment, it can be used for middle-school children. This experiment will provide a visual example of just how much sugar a person puts into her body with each can of soda she drinks. Pour the soda into a pot and boil it until you're left with a sticky syrup. Measure the weight of the leftover syrup in grams. Your measurement should be close to the disclosed amount of sugar listed on the outside of the soda can or bottle.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
