Sara Castro

Period 3
9-25-14

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 and a Gummy Worm when you put
them in water overnight?
Hypothesis:
If I leave the Gummy Bear and a Gummy Worm overnight in water, it will increase in
size because it will absorb the water Safety:
No Horseplay.
No miss use of materials.
No eating or drinking in the laboratory.
Tests/Procedures:
The materials used were one Gummy Worm, one Gummy Bear, a plastic cup, a paper
towel, and a scale. Day 1 we choose one Gummy Bear from the container on our table.
With the equipment available we recorded the measurements of the Gummy Bear and
Gummy Worm. Then we put the bear in a plastic cum and labeled the cup with our name
and period. After we filled the cup with 50mL of water and left the Gummy Bear and
Gummy Worm sit overnight. Day 2 we removed the Gummy Bear and Gummy Worm
from the plastic cup and used a towel to dry them off. We retook the measurement of the
Gummy Bear and Gummy Worm to determine the amount of change that took place
overnight.
Data and Observations:
Claims:

Day Worm
Color
Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Red and
Green
4cm 0.3cm 0.6cm 0.72cm
3
9.16g 12.72
g/cm
3

2 Pink and
Light
Green
15cm 0.9cm 1.8cm 24.3cm
3
29.68g 0.819
g/cm
3

Amount
of
Change
Color
Faded
11cm 0.6cm 0.6cm 23.58cm
3
20.52g 11.902
g/cm
3

Day Bear
Color
Length Width Thickness Volume Mass Density
1 Orange 2cm 0.6cm 0.5cm 0.6cm
3
2.57g 4.28g/cm
3

2 Yellow 3.3cm 1.5cm 1.9cm 9.405cm
3
8.787g 0.934
g/cm
3

Amount
of
Change
Color
faded
1.3cm 0.9cm 1.4cm 8.805cm
3
6.217g 3.349
g/cm
3




If I leave a Gummy Bear and a Gummy Worm in overnight it will decrease in density.
Evidence:
I know that the Gummy Bear and Gummy Worm decreased in density because their
volumes increased. When the volume of an object increases the density of such object
decreases. Therefore we conclude that the density of the Gummy Bear and Gummy
Worm decreased because both of their volumes increased.
Reading and Reflection:
1.)Gelatin is a virtually colorless and tasteless water-soluble protein prepared form
collagen and used in food preparation as the basis of jellies in phonographic processes,
and in glue.
(http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/jm/c2jm33173j#!divAbstract)
2.) When you dissolve gelatin mix in water, the tiny spaghetti like proteins within it
become entwined or tangled. As they tangle, they form a mesh of pockets that had water,
sugar, and other agents added for flavor. After refrigerating, the result is a jiggly solid.
The water would be trapped between the chain.
3.)The density within a gelatin polymeric structure is varies because it both a liquid and a
solid.Polymers that have very low mass are liquids but the ones that have very high mass
are solids. If an objects mass is greater than its volume its density increases, thus when
gelatin is more of a solid its density increases. Although if an objects mass is less than its
volume its density decreases therefore when gelatin is more of a liquid its density
decreases.