Make Your Own Soft Drink
STEM Activity
You will need:
• 5-7 plastic/foam/glass drinking glasses
• 2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
• ¾ of a teaspoon of citric acid
• 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar
• ¾ of a cup of water
• food colouring (optional)
• mixing spoon
• measuring spoons
• laundry/permanent marker
• disposable teaspoons (enough for some taste testers)
Instructions:
1. Measure out ¼ of a teaspoon of citric acid and add to 3 different
glasses so each drinking glass has ¼ teaspoon of citric acid in the
bottom.
2. Label each drinking glass starting with the number one.
1
3. Add 16 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to glass one. You may need to
1
measure out half a ⅛ teaspoon to make the 16 .
4. Now, add ¼ cup of water and mix together. Make some observations.
5. In glass two, add ¼ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and ¼ cup of
water. Mix together. Again, make some observations.
This resource is provided for informational and educational purposes only. As this resource refers to food items/ingredients, and bicarbonate of soda, you must ensure that an adequate risk assessment is
carried out prior to using this resource. Whilst it is a safe food ingredient, bicarbonate of soda may cause illness if ingested in large amounts. It is your responsibility to ensure you are aware of the allergies
and health conditions of anyone making or consuming these products. Twinkl is not responsible for the health and safety of your group or environment. It is your responsibility to ensure the resource and the
information/activity it contains are safe and appropriate to use in your situation.
Page 1 of 4
visit twinkl.com.au
Make Your Own Soft Drink STEM Activity
6. Add 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and ¼ cup of water to glass
three. Mix together. Again, make some observations.
7. In glass one, mix in ¼ of a teaspoon of sugar.
8. In glass two, mix in ½ of a teaspoon of sugar.
9. In glass three, mix in ¾ of a teaspoon of sugar.
10. With permission from your teacher, use disposable spoons to taste
test each different version of the soft drink.
11. Once you know which version is the most popular, you can make up
a larger volume following the instructions for the specific glass. You
can also add food colouring to make the drink more interesting.
Prediction
What do you think is going to happen when the bicarbonate of soda and
citric acid mixes together? Why?
Page 2 of 4
visit twinkl.com.au
Make Your Own Soft Drink STEM Activity
Observations
In each section, draw a picture and write what
you saw when the ingredients were added
together. You might like to label your drawing too.
Cup One
Cup Two
Cup Three
Page 3 of 4
visit twinkl.com.au
Make Your Own Soft Drink STEM Activity
How did your prediction compare to the reaction that happened in the
cups?
Why do you think the ingredients in each cup reacted this way?
Page 4 of 4
visit twinkl.com.au