Gummy Bears Growth In Different Liquids

Nevan Kasavana

American Heritage

Composition and Grammar

Mrs. Hrzich

November 2, 2021
 The purpose of this experiment is to see the growth of a gummy bear with different

drinks. The three liquids being tested are: Sprite, Vinegar, and Soda. The independent variable is

the different drinks, and the dependent variable is the growth of the gummy bear. The control

group is pure water with the gummy bear. This experiment can be applied to the real world

because many people eat gummy bears and want to know what drinks could make them grow the

most.

Gummy candy was invented by Hans Riegel, a German candy maker; he founded the

HARIBO factory in the 1920s. Riegel was inspired by making the gummy bear by eating at

street festivals in Europe. His first ingredient was gum Arabic. “Gum Arabic is sap from the

branches of Acacia Senegal trees. It's a natural emulsifier, which means that it can keep together

substances which normally would not mix well” (NPR 2007). Hans Riegel This is where the

name gummy bear came from. Today, the real base is edible gelatin. Hans Riegel is still alive,

still operating the Haribo factory since 1946.

Gelatin is a “protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones with

water” (Peta 2014). Gummy bears contain cornstarch, sugar, corn syrup, flavorful food dye, and

gelatin. A gummy bear is a rubbery squished sticky texture. It is shaped like a bear, and it is sort

of hollow. They come in many different colors and flavors. Some can be sour, sweet, even bitter.

Gummy bears have grown to come into many popular candies like sour patch, gummy worms,

rings and more. The most popular type of gummy is the original gummy bear. The gummy that is

shaped like a bear.

 Gummy bears grow in liquids because of osmosis, “Osmosis is the process in which

solvent (most often water) moves from a place of lower solute concentration into a place of a

higher solute concentration” (Boundless Brilliance 2020). When the water molecules are inside

gelatin, they go to a higher area of solute to make the amount even with the solvent and the

solute. “ Solute is the thing you dissolve in the water! In the ocean, salt is the solute and it is

dissolved in the solvent (water)” (Boundless Brilliance 2020). “Solvent is usually what we call

water in scientific experiments. It is the liquid that things are dissolved in” (Boundless Brilliance

2020) . This allows the gummy bear to expand into a larger size. The gummy bear is able to grow

in liquids that have less molecules than the gummy bear.

If gummy bears are tested in different liquids, then the vinegar will make it grow the

most. One can support this statement because the acid breaks down gelatin, there is room for

more water to enter the gummy. Which allows the gummy bear to expand.
 References

Candy chemistry. (n.d.). Candy Chemistry. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from

https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/candy-chemistry-experiments/

Gummy bear osmosis. (n.d.). Gummy Bear Osmosis. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from

https://www.boundlessbrilliance.org/brilliant-blog/2020/7/17/gummy-bear-osmosis-exper

imentnbsp

Mcginnis, P. (2011). The incredible growing gummy bear. Science Scope, 35(3), 67-70.

NPR. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2007 from

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11224050

PETA. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2021, from

https://www.peta.org/about-peta/faq/what-is-gelatin-made-of/

Wonder polis. (n.d.). Wonder Polis. Retrieved October 21, 2021, from

https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-are-gummy-bears-made