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Food Science Science Fair Project

Soft Drink Packaging and Carbonation Levels

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Soft Drink Packaging and Carbonation Levels | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
Does the same soft drink lose more fizz from a glass bottle, a plastic bottle, or an aluminum can? Carbonation is dissolved carbon dioxide gas. When it escapes, the drink weighs less. You weigh a Coca-Cola container before opening it. Then you shake it ten times and gently release the gas. You weigh it again and record the difference. You repeat the shake-and-release cycle eight more times for each container type. Divide the total gas lost by the volume in each container. Compare the per-100 ml figures to see whether packaging changes carbonation.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that Coca Cola beverage packed in glass bottles, PET bottles or aluminum containers will have the same amount of carbon dioxide per 100ml.

Method & Materials

You will measure the weight of the bottle before and after releasing the gas in the beverage. You will also shake the bottle 10 times and let the bubbles settle before measuring the weight.
You will need a glass bottle of Coca Cola 200ml, a PET bottle of Coca Cola 500ml, a can of Coca Cola 325ml, and a digital weighing scale.

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Results

The results show that the amount of gas that escaped from the glass bottle, PET bottle and aluminum can per 100 ml, after being shaken, is almost the same. This suggests that the packaging of the Coca Cola beverage does not affect the amount of carbonation.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting because it shows how the packaging of a soft drink affects the amount of carbonation.

Also Consider

Try to repeat the experiment with different beverages like 7-UP or Pepsi. The experiment can also be repeated at different temperatures.

Full project details

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

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