Science Fair Experiments that get good grades – Experiment #17 - Soda Pop Science

Do you like soda? Have you ever tried to take a can of soda that was at room temperature and make it cold fast? Well, as for science fair experiments then, I think you will really like this one. In this project, you will be determining the fastest way to cool down a can of soda. Then you can use your newfound knowledge to impress all your friends.

As far as difficulty levels go for science fair experiments, this one is about average. With ten being the most difficult level, this science project is about a five. You will only need a day or two for the actual experimentation, and most of the material needed is readily available. No special materials required.

Introduction

You might be studying soda here, but what you are also studying is heat transfer. I’m sure you know that if you put a soda into the refrigerator when it’s at room temperature that it will take a while to cool down. Some people try putting it in the freezer if they want it to get cold faster. But, how else could you cool it fast?  

Here is a quick overview on heat and the transfer of it, which are two things you need to familiarize yourself with for this project. Matter is made up of many atoms and many molecules that are in motion constantly. In fact, molecules are always vibrating even in solids. Heat is the measurement of the average motion of molecules in matter. It can be moved from one bit of matter to the next. This can be done by convection, radiation, evaporation, or conduction. 

In a freezer and in a refrigerator, the cold air removes heat away from the soda can using convection. The air molecules are then spread out. For example, air is far less dense than is water. So if you place a can of soda pop in a cool liquid, you could expect that there are a higher number of interactions in the molecules happening.  

Science fair experiments always require you to become acquainted with certain terms and concepts. Before you begin the project, you ought to know the following: evaporation, conduction, radiation and conduction—all elements of heat transfer, as well as heat and the kinetic theory of matter. 

By the way, getting a free copy of Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects will help you through your own project.

What you will need for this experiment:

•    Twelve cans of room-temperature soda 

•    digital thermometer 

•    2 styrofoam coolers 

•    ice cubes 

•    water 

•    a stop watch or a timer 

•    plastic wrap  

Steps for the experimental procedure:

•    Before you begin, make sure you have done thorough background research on the terms and concepts mentioned above.

•    Take a foam cooler and place enough ice to cover three of your cans of soda completely.

•    Make an bath of ice water by putting the same quantity of ice into another foam cooler and, then fill up the ice cooler with water.

•   Use the thermometer and measure the beginning temperatures of the following: freezer compartment, refrigerator, ice-only cooler, ice-water cooler, and the room temperature of each can of soda.

•    Put into the coolers three of the room temperature sodas to test.

•    Record the time you started for each cooler.

•   Every five minutes, take the three sodas out of their cooling devices and measure their temperatures. Record the temperatures and the times, then be sure to quickly put the soda cans back in the correct coolers.

•    The experiment will be done when both of the soda’s temperatures stabilizes.

•    Now, figure out the average temperatures of each of the three sodas during each time check point.

•    Design a graph showing the temperature of the sodas on the y-axis and the time it took in minutes from the beginning of the experiment. Use different symbols and colors to represent each of the cooling devices. 

Great science fair experiments always have variations. One variation you could test for this project is to decrease the temperature in the ice water by combining it with salt. Will adding salt make the soda cool down faster? If so, why? 

To help you with your own project, take a look at some of the links next to this article.  AwesomeScienceProjects.com has great step-by-step videos on how to do winning science fair projects. Good luck!