Cooling Water with Mints

My abstract

Do Mints Cool a Glass of Warm Water

Like the flip side of a pillow, mints are linked to cold things. As my experiment, I thought I would see if water would actually cool down faster by adding mints. I thought of this experiment when I saw advertisements on T.V talking about how mints made everything so cold. So I put this information to the test. I believed that the mints would cool the water and I set out to prove my point. When I brush my teeth and then drink a glass of water, the minty toothpaste always made my mouth very cold. It seemed like a fun project. I also decided to use four different types of mints to compare. As an alternative, I decided to place a hot candy in water to see if the water temperature would heat faster with the hot candy then without.

The first step of my test was to do select one type of mint. To do this test, I measured one cup of water in a measuring cup. I then got two glasses of the same size. I poured one cup of water into each glass and then I placed a thermometer into each glass. When the temperatures in each glass was the same I put one mint into one of the glasses of water. I then set a timer for 5 minutes and waited till it went off. Once the timer went off I recorded the data and put it into a chart. I tested this experiment with 5 different types of mints. Each type of mint was tested over a thirty minute period adding an additional mint to the glass every five minutes. In addition, I tested each type of mints twice for more accurate results

In summary, the Mentos Mints lowered the temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit over a 30 minute period in the first test and by 1 degree Fahrenheit in the secord test. The Ice Cube mints lowered the temperature by 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the first test and the second test lowered the temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. The first test with peppermints lowered the temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit while the second test lowered the temperature by 1 degree Fahrenheit. The lifesaver mints lowered the first temperature by 0 degrees Fahrenheit and the second test lowered the temperature by 1 degree Fahrenheit. My last test with the cinnamon imperials saw the temperature rise by 1 degree Fahrenheit on the first test and on the second test it stayed the same as the temperature did not rise or fall.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed this experiment. I learned that although your breath might feel cold after brushing your teeth and drinking a glass of water, mints only cooled the temperature of the glass of water by a average of 10 degrees Fahrenheit while the controls average was 8.8 degrees Fahrenheit . My hypothesis was correct in stating that the mints would cool the water. However, not all the mints cooled the water. My experiment was accurate; however, several variables could have affected my results. First, the size and ingredients in the different mints could have given different results. The temperature in my house at different times during the testing and the timing of dropping the mints into the glasses. Although I used a measuring cup, the water could have been off my a small amount. I could have improved my experiment by controlling the environment better and the air temperature as well as the size and ingredients in the different mints.

Picture of my Board