PERCENT COMPOSITION
Bubblegum Lab
LAB MATERIALS

1 piece of chewing gum

Electronic Balance
LAB INFORMATION
Purpose

To calculate and
compare the percent
composition by mass
of sugar in bubble
gum.
Abstract


All commercial food producers must
list all ingredients found in their
food products on the retail
packaging for the foods. These
ingredients must be listed in order
of decreasing concentration by mass
but they do not have to list the
actual quantities.
Chewing gum is composed mostly of
sugar. The most convenient way to
remove sugar from gum is to chew
it. During chewing the sugar is
dissolved by saliva and is
swallowed, leaving an insoluble
rubber in the mouth.
Procedure



1. Check to make sure that the balance is tared.
(Read exactly zero when there is nothing on the
pan.)
2. Determine the mass of the piece of gum and
the wrapper while it is still packaged. Record
this mass within 0.01g and record it in the data
table.
3. Unwrap the gum and start chewing it. You
will chew the gum for at least 10 minutes to
remove as much sugar as possible.
NOTE THE START TIME…
MASS OF THE GUM (NOT CHEWED)
AND
THE WRAPPER


4. Weigh the wrapper to within 0.01g. Keep this
piece of paper as weigh paper so that the bubble
gum does not stick to the balance pan after you
are done chewing.
5. Take the gum out of your mouth once all the
sugar has dissolved. Determine the mass of the
chewed gum and the wrapper to within 0.01g and
record this in the data table.

6. Discard the gum.

7. Perform all calculations.
MASS OF THE WRAPPER BY ITSELF
10 MINUTES HAS PASSED…
MASS OF THE CHEWED GUM AND WRAPPER
OTHER DATA NEEDED…
 Number

A: Class average:


76%
B: Range of Class data:

73-79.
 Number

7:
(Range would be 6)
8:
Actual Data: 83%