Aracely Valencia

Period 5
17-18 September 2014
Laboratory Experiment Guiding 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?
Hypothesis:
If I leave a Gummy Bear overnight in water, it will have increased in size because it will
have absorbed some of the water it has been left in.
Safety:
There should be no horseplay and students must watch where they are going with lab
equipment. There should also be no eating of the Gummy Bears or the water they were left
overnight in.
Tests/Procedure:
The materials you will need are as follows: a gummy worm, gummy bear, cup, water,
weight, ruler, and a towel. Choose one gummy bear from the container on your table. Use the
equipment available to measure your gummy bear and record the data in the chart for Day 1.
Follow the following instructions in order to properly measure the Gummy Bear. The
length of your gummy bear should be measured from the top of the head to the bottom of its feet
to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. Measure the width at the widest point across the back of the
bear to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. Measure the thickness from the front to the back at the
thickest point to the nearest tenth of a centimeter. Calculate the volume by multiplying the
length, width, and thickness. Round to the nearest one hundredth. Measure the mass using a
triple-beam balance or other scale to the nearest tenth of a gram. Calculate the density by
dividing the mass by the volume. Round answer to the nearest hundredth.
Put the bear in a cup. Add 50 ml of water to the cup and allow it to sit overnight. On Day
2, remove the gummy bear from the cup of water and use a towel to dry it off to prevent it from
dripping all over the place. Repeat the measurements from Part A and record your data in the
correct portion of the chart. Determine the amount of change for each measurement and record in
the chart.
1 Gelatin structure: http://www1.lsbu.ac.uk/water/hygel.html

Date and Observations:
Gummy Bear
Day Bear
Color
Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Red 2 cm. 1 cm. 1 cm.
2 cm.
2.567 g. 1.284
2 Pink 3.2 cm. 1.5 cm. 2cm.
9.6 cm.
.407 g. .042
Amount
of
Change
The color
was
diluted
+1.2 cm. +.5 cm. +1 cm.
+7.6 cm.
-2.16 g. -1.242
Gummy Worm
Day Worm
Color
Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Red/yellow 10 cm. 1.2 cm. 1 cm.
12 cm.
9.295 g. .775
2 Pink 14.5 cm. 1.9 cm. 1.5 cm. 41.324
cm.
22.095 g. .535
Amount
of
Change
The color
was diluted
+4.5 cm. +.7 cm. +.5 cm. +29.324
cm.
+17.8 g. -.24

Claims:
If I leave a Gummy Bear in water overnight it will decrease in density but increase in
volume.
Evidence:
I know that the Gummy Bear will decrease in density but increase in volume because the
data table I created through observation from my experiment shows that both the Gummy Bear
and Worm increase in volume while decreasing in density. They had both experienced a
substantial growth in volume as well as a decrease in density when I measured them again on
Day 2.
Reading and Reflection:
1. Gelatin is a water-soluble protein that is created by boiling the byproducts of
generally pigs or cows with water and some acid. [1] It is used in many everyday


products such as capsules for medicine.
2. When you add water to the gelatin, the water seeps into the gelatin through
osmosis, fills the pockets, and causes the gelatins polymeric structure to expand.
3. The density is dependent on the polymeric structure. For example, our Gummy
Bears density decreased because the polymeric structure of the gelatin expanded
when it came in contact with the water. It started off as 1.284 but after soaking in
the water all night, the polymers had begun to loosen causing the density to
decrease to .042. The Gummy Bear had become lighter than water due to the
expansion. The density of something is liable to change depending on the
polymeric structure.
Questions from Lab Report:
1. Yes, my hypothesis was correct because both the gummy bear and worm grew in
volume.
2. The volumes had a greater change because the gummies had soaked up the water
and were bloated.
3. There was a change in density because the mass and volume both changed.
4. My classmates and I had similar results for most of the lab, except the mass for
their gummy bear went up the second day, and ours decreased.