Skittle Experiment

Come Off In Different Liquids?

I am testing which liquid will get all of the color off a skittle the fastest. I used vinegar, seltzer water, lemon juice, water, and baking soda mixed with water. Before I started testing, my hypothesis was that the seltzer water would have the fastest time out of all the liquids. This is because the carbonation and bubbles can disintegrate the color off the skittle.

I did my experiment by getting skittles and using my phone as a stopwatch. I timed each liquid 3 times separately. I think I chose good liquids for my experiment. I tested each liquid 3 times and found the average for each of the 3 times. I chose this experiment because everytime I put a skittle in water it always takes a while to get the color off. I wondered if different liquids would get it off faster or slower. Then I found the average for each liquid. I chose the purple skittle because it was the darkest so easiest to see. The average of the seltzer water was 1 minute and 96 seconds, the average for the lemon juice was 2 minutes and 97 seconds. The average of the water was 2 minute and 89 seconds, the average of the vinegar is 2 minutes and 98 seconds. The slowest time was from the baking soda and water mix which was 3 minutes and 89 seconds. This experiment taught me that the different chemicals in liquids can have a massive effect on something that makes contact with it. Like in water there are no chemicals, but in seltzer there is carbonation.

After I finished all my experiments, the slowest time was from the baking soda mixed with water. Since Seltzer is an acid and the baking soda water mix is a base the base would take longer because it is a more thicker liquid. When I tested the Seltzer water the skittle started bubbling. And when all the color came off the bubbling stopped. The fastest time was Seltzer water, water, lemon juice, then vinegar, and lastly the baking soda water mix.

While I tested each variable I learned that different liquids can have a different impact on something that is in contact with it. Like how the skittle was bubbling in the Seltzer water but not in plain water. This experiment taught me that the different chemicals in liquids can have a massive effect on something that makes contact with it. As in water there is no chemicals but in seltzer there is carbonation. My hypothesis was correct because I thought the seltzer water would have the fastest time because of all the carbonation and sodium in it and I was right because when the skittle was dropped in the seltzer the color immediately started to come off. This experiment was very successful because I knew each liquid would be different from the other because of there different properties. I can improve this experiment by testing the liquids more and maybe adding more types of liquids.

Data Table: