To control the variables, the apparatus such as the electronic balance and the stop watch used should be the same every time. The amount of time to chew for each trial should be increased by 60 seconds each time. A stopwatch could be helpful in this case since it would give an accurate time. The size of each gum should be similar. This can be controlled by measuring the length of it with a ruler or make sure that it comes out form the same packet as all the other gums did. If the gum gets deformed, before chewing don’t use it. The initial mass of the gum could be measured by the electronic balance.
The materials that would be required for the experiment is 1 – stopwatch, 4 chewing gum pieces of Wrigley’s Excel (Non-sugar free) 1 – electronic balance 1 – person to chew the gum
Procedure:
- Obtain all the materials.
- Using an electronic balance, measure the initial mass of the gum with the wrapper. Make sure the gum is not deformed and keep the wrapper.
- Using a stopwatch, chew the gum for exactly one minute.
- Measure the mass of the gum with the wrapper on.
- Record measurements and repeat steps 2 – 4 by adding 1 minute each time.
- Do this until the gum is chewed for 5 minutes.
- Repeat to confirm results.
- Clean up.
Data Collection and processing:
Mass of wrapper: 1.00 + 0.01g
Initial mass of the gum (with wrapper): 8.00 + 0.01 g
Table #1: Raw data of the mass of gum with wrapper at different times
Mass of gum without wrapper:
(6.25 – 1.00) = 5.25g
Errors: (0.01 + 0.01) = 0.02
Calculating Average sound
Avg.= (5.25 + 5.15+ 5.34) / 3 = 5.25g
Calculating errors for the average sound:
Eavg = (0.02+0.02+0.02) /3 = 0.02
Calculating the difference in mass:
Difference = (Initial mass) – (Final average mass)
Difference = 8 – 5.25
Difference = 2.75
Calculating errors for the average mass:
Error = (0.02 + 0.02) = 0.04
Presented data: Calculated average final mass of the gum and the difference in mass with their times
Graph #1: Time vs. average final mass of the gum
Graph #2: Time vs. the difference in mass
Graph #2 plot the time vs. the difference in mass of the gum. This graph is directly proportional to graph. The points are connected with a straight line indicating that the average difference in mass affects the time. Note for this graph that the mass difference is zero when the time passed is 0. This graph can be proportioned so that it passes through zero and thus there is no statistic error although there is no need to do this for what is being found out in this investigation.
Calculations for the gradient of the graph:
m = (y2 – y1) / ( x2 – x1)
m = (5.35– 2.75) g / (300 – 60) s
= 0.0108 g/s
Calculations for the minimum and the maximum gradients:
mmax = (y2 – y1) / ( x2 – x1)
mmax = ( 5.41–2.70) g / ( 300 – 60)s
mmax = 0.01129 g/s
mmin = ( 5.29 – 2.80) g/ ( 300 - 60)s
mmin = (2.71) g/ (240) s
mmin = 0.010375 g/s
Em = (0.01129 – 0.010375) g/s / 2 = 0.0005
Slope = 0.0108 + 0.0005 g/s
Conclusion:
In this investigation, the mass of chewing gum after chewed at different times were recorded by using an electronic balance. The average final mass was calculated and then graphed with the time. The graph tells us that an inversely proportional relationship exists between the final mass and the time. The difference between final and initial mass was also calculated and was graphed with time, which gave us a linear graph. Through this graph it is found that the longer you chew the less mass it gets. This is because sugar, the main ingredient in the gum, gets lost from the gum at a rate 0.0108 + 0.0005 g/s. This result is found from the slope of a liner graph which in this case tells the proportionality factor between avg. difference of mass and the time.
Evaluation:
The lab was a success. This can be seen form the linear relationship between average difference of mass of the gum and the rate of decomposition. But there were some minor problems that occurred during the lab, as it can be seen that the slope varies about
+ 0.0005. One problem could have been that the gum when weighed after it was chewed was sticking to its wrapper. This caused it to gain more mass because the tiny bits of wrapper might got stuck in the gum thus increasing its mass.
Improvements:
The problem could be solved by using the weigh boat instead of the wrapper. This could have made the gum not stick in the surface.
