Curammeng 1

Halia Curammeng

Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Radcliffe

Physical Science

13 January 2017

Does a Sour Gummi Bear or Regular Gummi Bear Burn Faster?

Once there was a gummy bear, who was taken out of the packaging on a hot and sunny

day. Her name was Mimi. She was placed on a pizza pan with tin foil covering it. All of Mimis

friends decided to watch and help Mimi learn a little more about gummy bears. Mimi was trying

to determine some critical difference between sour and traditional gummy bears. The gummy

bears were trying to see if she lights the sour gummy bear on fire, then it will burn faster than the

regular gummy bear.

What are the Differences in Ingredients Between Sour and Regular Gummy Bears?

Both types of gummy bears have quite a few ingredients in common. In fact, the first five

ingredients in both types of gummy bears are exactly the same [Glucose syrup (from wheat or

corn), sugar, gelatine, dextrose (from wheat or corn), and citric acid]. Both types of gummy

bears also include corn starch, but they have different amounts of this ingredient. Corn starch is

the sixth ingredient listed in regular gummy bears while it is the tenth ingredient listed in sour

gummy bears. In addition to the ingredients listed above they both include Carnauba wax in

different quantities. The regular gummy bears also have two other kinds of wax; white beeswax

and yellow beeswax. Both gummy bears also have the same dyes. These dyes are yellow 5, red

40, and blue 1 (Nutrition).

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What Safety Precautions Should be Taken While Burning a Gummy Bear?

While burning anything make sure there is a way out in case the fire spreads and becomes

uncontrollable. There should be a way for the smoke to leave the area and for it to be ventilated

with new air. It is best to leave all doors open. You should have short and straight exit routes in

case of emergency. Make sure there is nothing in the way of the exit route and that it is checked

regularly (Madelin). All hair should be tied back, so it doesnt burn or catch on fire. If you are

wearing long sleeves, make sure they are rolled up or take them off. If you are cut or hurt, make

sure to wear gloves or anything else that is nonflammable to protect the cut, so they dont get

worse (Westbroek).

Do Colored Dyes Affect the Burning Rates of Different Candies?

Make sure the candies being burned are the same color. It word also be good if they were

the same size (Science). They heat, light, and other things can influence the burn rate and burn

properties (Colorants). In a candle, the wax can be burned, but the dye cant burn. Because the

candle color can lower the flame, the color may affect how fast the gummi bear. This is what the

website Ask an Expert says about colored candles and their flames, when tested the white

candle did melt the fastest, and the color candle was slower (Ask). The more color that is added

to a candle will burn faster, this may also include gummy bears (Grosvenor). If candles are the

exact same other than color, they should burn the same amount of time. This may be the same for

gummy bears (Does).

How Do You Accurately Measure Burning Rate?

You can accurately measure burning rate by weighing the object, burning it, and

measuring it again, then subtract the weights (How). According to Dictionary.com The rate at
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which a company (esp. startup) uses its cash to survive, the money spent each month above

incoming cash flow (The). You use joules to measure heat. Calories can also be used to measure

heat. Heat is made when molecules vibrate really fast. Heat can keep chemicals changing and

can change the state of things. Fire Dynamics says, Temperature is a measure of the degree of

molecular activity of a material compared to a reference point. A fire is a source of heat and

light (Fire).

How Do the Calories of Different Foods Affect Their Burning Rate?

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Calories are the amount of heat required at

a pressure of one atmosphere to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree Celsius

that is equal to about 4.19 joules abbreviation cal called also gram calorie, small calorie

(Merriam). To figure out how many calories that are in foods, the manufactures used to burn the

food. They would place the food they were burning in a container of water and burn it with

electricity. To see how many calories were used in the food, the manufacturers would measure

the water temperature after the food was burned up. That way of figuring out the calories is

called a bomb calorimeter. Manufactures no longer use the method because the FDA wanted to

inform customers about more information about the food (Eveleth). When an object goes

through a chemical or physical reaction, scientists measure the the heat taken in or released by

using and measuring object called a calorimeter. Because of the calorimeter discoveries, we have

plastic products ("Calorimeter").

What Were the Findings From Previous Experiments That Have Been Done on Burning Gummy

Bears?

An example of burning gummy bears is putting the gummy bear in a test tube with
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molten potassium chlorate in it. What will happen is that smoke, heat, and a purple flame will

come out of the test tube (Experiments). This type of experiment leads to an explosion of some

kind (Chemical). The explosion takes place because the potassium chlorate is hot. It breaks down

and turns into potassium chloride and oxide. The oxide reacts to the glucose in the gummy bear,

which leads to an unexpected explosion (California). In other cases, there could be a noise and

can also be a smell of sweet burning. There is a lot of energy the gummy bear gives off before it

is burned. The gummy bear will also release oxygen, until the bear is covered by the flame

(Privacy).

If you light a sour gummy bear on fire, then it will burn faster than a regular gummy

bear. Through the course of their experiment Mimi and her friends unfortunately burned. They

died a very honorable death. Mimi and her friends, who are no longer here with us, were able to

learn that their hypothesis was wrong. A sour gummy bear burns slower that a regular gummy

bear.
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