Density: Regular Pepsi vs Diet Pepsi Teaching Copy

Objectives:

Brainstorm and nd a solution as to why Diet Pepsi oats and Regular Pepsi sinks

Dene the terms: mass, matter, volume, density, grams, centimeters cubed, sugar, and
aspartame

List the similarities and differences of given objects

Visualize how much sugar we consume drinking one can of soda

Materials:

12 Ounce Regular Pepsi Can

12 Ounce Diet Pepsi Can

Water

Tank (ideally clear and approximately one foot deep)

Sugar (41 grams)

NutraSweet (representing approximately 2 grams of aspartame)

Procedure:

1. Complete denitions activity. Cut out the words and denitions. Give one to each
student in the class and have them try to match them up correctly. When they think
each is correct, go over them as a class. Ask the pairs of students to read them aloud.
Write them on the board while they write them on their worksheet.

2. Pass the cans of Pepsi around the room.

3. Ask the students to name as many similarities as they can about the 2 cans of coke.
Make a list on the board.

4. Ask the students to list as many differences as they can about the 2 cans.

Possible Similarities: Made by the same company, have the same shape, made of
aluminum, are sealed shut, have the same amount of liquid, similar in weight, contain
water, contain carbon dioxide, and both have caffeine.

Possible Differences: Their color, one is diet and one is regular, one has sugar and the
other does not.

5. Place the regular Pepsi into the tank lled with room temperature water.

6. Place the diet Pepsi into the water. (Take both out surprised and have the students
verify they have not been altered in any way).

7. Place both back into the water and ask the students to explain why one is oating.

Possible Responses: They were not lled right at the plant, the blue paint is heavier
than the silver paint, or visa versa, one is at, without carbon dioxide, and nally
NutraSweet is lighter than sugar.

Why:

Show the students what 41 grams of sugar looks like in a beaker about the same size
as the can of Pepsi. Then display the approximate 2 grams of NutraSweet (in place of
the aspartame) in the Diet Pepsi.

Explain that all of the sugar is in the regular Pepsi can and the small amount of
aspartame is in the Diet Pepsi can in order to make both beverages sweetened.

Discuss how more Matter (stuff) is crammed into the same amount of Volume
(space), which increases the mass. The relationship of Mass to Volume is Density. The
more matter (stuff) you place into a set space, the more dense it becomes. For
example, when you are on an elevator with one other person it is less dense than when
you are on it with 10 people.


















The Diet Pepsi (on the left) is
noticeably above the water, while the
regular Pepsi is below the water.
Ideally a deeper, clear container
should be used.
The two types of pop being used.
Diet Pepsi on the left and regular
Pepsi on the right.
Name:

Date:


What Is Density?
Regular Pepsi vs Diet Pepsi




Dene the following terms:

Mass:


Matter:


Volume:


Density:


Grams:


Centimeters Cubed:


Sugar:


Aspartame:
Draw a Venn Diagram displaying the similarities and differences
between Regular Pepsi and Diet Pepsi cans of pop:


















Why do you believe there is a difference between what happens to the
Regular Pepsi and the Diet Pepsi cans when placed into the water?
















With respect to these cans, what does the Mass represent and what
does the Volume represent?



Mass:



Volume:



Please ll out the following table:

We know that the density of water is 1, are the densities of these
Pepsi cans higher or lower than 1? (Circle one for each type)


Regular Pepsi: Higher or Lower


Diet Pepsi: Higher or Lower



What can we conclude about the density of items in water with
respect to where they are located?
Regular Pepsi Diet Pepsi
Mass (grams)
Volume (cm^3)
Density (grams/cm^3)


Density Lesson Vocabulary: Explained further in the teaching
lesson plan.
Matter
Anything made up of atoms and
molecules
Mass
The amount of matter in an object
Volume
The amount of space taken up
Density
The relationship of Mass to
Volume
Grams
A metric unit of Mass
Sugar
A sweet substance obtained from
plants
Aspartame
A very sweet substance used in
articial sweetener
Centimeters Cubed
A metric unit of volume