Bubble Gum Science
Project #332
The Big Question
Which brand of bubblegum makes the biggest bubble?
Hypothesis
- The brand that will have the biggest bubble will be the Dubble Bubble, because the gum itself looks big, so a big amount of gum base had to be used.
- The brand that will have the smallest bubble will be the Extra, because the gum itself looks to thin, so not that much gum base had to be used.
Research
Bubblegum was invented by Walter Diemer. He was an accountant. The ingredients of his invention changed over time. He had to try many different mixtures to find the right formula. The reason gum is pink is because that was the only color he had.
These are the ingredients that are always used in bubblegum:
1. Gum Base
2. Sugar
3. Corn Syrup
4. Softeners
5. Flavorings
The most important ingredient in my research is the gum base. The gum base is what makes the chewy. The softeners are also important because it keeps the gum base soft. The gum base is made out of various waxes, resins, and plastics. Softeners are made out of vegetable oil products. The usage of gum base in bubble gum is 15-20%. They can also use 20-25%
Materials
Brands of Gum:
Dubble Bubble
Orbit
Hubba Bubba
Extra
Tools:
Caliper
Pencil and Paper
People included in project:
4 testers
1 data person ( me )
Procedure
- Open gum.
- Testers get two of each brand of gum. They get 6-10 inches of the Hubba Bubba bubble tape.
- Tests will have a few attempts to blow the biggest bubble they can.
- I will measure how big the bubble is with a caliper.
- Write down the measurement of each bubble.
- Record the biggest bubble on project board.
- Graph the results.
Data
Below is a graph of how many inches wide the bubbles were.
Conclusion
Based on my data, Hubba Bubba made the biggest bubble when the testers blew their bubble, tester #2 blew the biggest bubble, and Orbit produced the smallest bubbles overall. This means that my hypothesis was wrong.
What I learned
Even though the gum base in the Hubba Bubba was thin, it still made the biggest of them all.
Who Helped Me
My mom
Sources
World Book Encyclopedia - Volume B
Pop! The invention of Bubble Gum, by Meghan McCarthy
How It's Made - Bubble Gum (YouTube Video - Discovery Channel)