======Gummy Bear Osmosis======


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**Alternative titles:** Gummy Bear Water Absorption
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Label several glass containers with the names of the solutions (e.g., water, salt water, sugar water, baking soda water, milk, soda, and vinegar).  
  - Pour ½ cup of plain water into the container labeled “water.”  
  - Prepare other solutions by dissolving 1 tablespoon of the appropriate substance (salt, sugar, or baking soda) into ½ cup of water. Stir until completely dissolved.  
  - Measure the initial length, width, height, and mass of one gummy bear for each container. Record these values.  
  - Place one gummy bear into each container.  
  - Record the starting time and leave the containers undisturbed.  
  - After 12 hours, remove each gummy bear, observe changes, and record measurements. Return them to their respective solutions.  
  - Repeat observations and measurements after 24 hours and again after 48 hours.  
  - Compare the final sizes and weights to the starting values and discuss which solutions caused the gummy bears to expand, shrink, or dissolve.



====Links==== 
Science Is Everywhere: Monster Gummy Bears — Osmosis - Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose: 
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📄 Gummy Bear Osmosis - How To Homeschool: [[https://www.howtohomeschool.com/free-homeschooling/gummy-bear-osmosis]]\\


====Variations====
  * Use distilled water instead of tap water to compare effects of water purity.  
  * Try solutions with different solute concentrations (e.g., ½ tablespoon vs. 2 tablespoons of salt).  
  * Add colored gummy bears to see if color affects osmosis rates.  
  * Extend the experiment to 72 hours (if the bears remain intact).



====Safety Precautions====
  * Do not eat the gummy bears after soaking them in the solutions.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What is osmosis? (The movement of water molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.)  
  * Why did the gummy bears in plain water increase in size? (Water moved into the gummy bears because there was a higher concentration of water outside than inside the gelatin structure.)  
  * Why did the gummy bears in salt water shrink or stay smaller? (The salt water had a lower water concentration, causing water to move out of the gummy bear.)  
  * What evidence suggests that osmosis occurred? (The changes in gummy bear size and mass after soaking in the different solutions.)  
  * Why don’t gummy bears dissolve in water like other candies? (They contain gelatin, which forms a semi-permeable network that allows water in but prevents sugars from diffusing out easily.)