Candy Science Fair Projects: Making A Spark

Physcis Food Chemistry Kitchen Science

Candy science fair projects can be as tasty as they are educational. If you love candy and have access to some basic supplies, then you can develop several different types of chemistry and physics related projects. However, before we move on to possible candy projects that you can run with, here is one of the most commonly done candy science fair projects, Making Sparks with Candy.

Making Sparks With Candy

Equipment:

Wintergreen Lifesaver candy (no other flavor will work).

Safety:

To prevent accidental choking on the candy pieces, have a glass of water handy to drink.

How to do the experiment:

Triboluminescence is the mechanical generation of light. Certain chemical bonds will generate light energy when the molecules are torn apart by mechanical crushing. Wintergreen Lifesaver candies contain some of these bonds. No other flavor of lifesaver candy (such as peppermint) will work in this experiment.

Each time a part of a Lifesaver is chrushed by your teeth you will see one or more flashes of white light in your mouth! Each piece of candy can produce many flashes of light as it is chewed and crushed.

If you are interested in more fun kids science fair projects, then you can explore the chemical properties of hard candy, chewy candies and soft candies. For example, you can examine how the chemical properties of sugar evolve as it is cooked to form the different stages of sugar. You can also explore the chemical reactions that occur during the candy making process. For example you can look at how different additives like flavoring, stabilizers and emulsifiers impact the chemical makeup of your favorite candies.

You can look at the molecular structure of chewy candies and then compare that structure to the molecular structure of hard candies. You can also experiment with viscosity and breaking points of candies. To perform these projects you will need candy making supplies, safety supplies and possibly even adult supervision, especially when handling hot sugar products.

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