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Food Science Science Fair Project

Coca-Cola and the Meat Dissolving Myth

Easy
Coca-Cola and the Meat Dissolving Myth | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Can Coca-Cola really dissolve a piece of steak in a few days? You place 300 grams each of steak, chicken breast, and salmon into separate bowls filled with Coca-Cola. Each day for five days, you check whether any of the meat has dissolved. After five full days of soaking, none of the three meats dissolve. The Coca-Cola changes their appearance slightly but fails to break them down. This project puts a popular myth to the test and reveals how well common meats hold up against the acidity in a carbonated soft drink.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that immersing the steak, chicken breast and salmon in Coca Cola over an extended period will not dissolve the meat.

Method & Materials

You will clean three bowls and place a piece of steak, chicken breast, and salmon in each bowl. Then, you will pour two bottles of Coca Cola into each bowl and make sure the meat is fully immersed.
You will need 300g of fresh steak, 300g of fresh chicken breast, 300g of fresh salmon steak, three large bowls, and six bottles of Coca Cola.

Results

The experiment showed that the Coca Cola did not dissolve the steak, chicken breast, and salmon that were immersed in the beverage for five days.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it tests a popular myth and provides an opportunity to learn about the effects of carbonated drinks on different types of meat.

Also Consider

Experiment variations include testing the effects of soft drinks on other calcium-rich materials, such as pieces of chalk, and testing the effects of fruit juice on tooth enamel.

Full project details

Additional information and source material for this project are available below.

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