Science Fair Project Draft
Title:
Taste Test
Purpose:
To determine if the ability to distinguish between four tastes differs
between age groups 10-13, 40-43 and 70-73.
Hypothesis: If the three concentrations of four tastes (sweet, sour, salty and bitter)
are given to three different age groups, then the oldest age group will have the lowest
ability to taste all three of the lowest concentrations of the four tastes.
Materials:

10 subjects in age group 10-13

10 subjects in age group 40-43

10 subjects in age group 70-73

360 white ____ mL Dixie cups

450 mL _______(brand) lemon juice

48 mL Morton’s iodized salt

4.8 mL generic quinine

48 mL Kroger brand white granulated sugar

1200 mL tap water

30 survey sheets

1 sharpie fine tip permanent marker
Procedure:
1)
Create survey sheets (see appendix A)
2)
Mark 1 small line ½ cm in length on the bottom of ten cups.
3)
Mark 2 small lines ½ cm each in length on the bottom of ten cups.
4)
Mark 3 small lines ½ cm each in length on the bottom of ten cups.
5)
Mix a solution of 0.1 mL salt and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 1 small
line.
6)
Repeat step 5 nine times.
7)
Mix a solution of 0.5 mL salt and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 2 small
lines.
8)
Repeat step 7 nine times.
9)
Mix a solution of 1 mL salt and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 3 small
lines.
10)
Repeat step 9 nine more times.
11)
Mark 1 small square ½ cm in size on the bottom of ten cups.
12)
Mark 2 small squares ½ cm each in size on the bottom of ten cups.
13)
Mark 3 small sqaures ½ cm each in size on the bottom of ten cups.
14)
Mix a solution of 0.1 mL lemon juice and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 1
small line.
15)
Repeat step 14 nine times.
16)
Mix a solution of 0.5 mL lemon juice and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with
2 small lines.
17)
Repeat step 16 nine times.
18)
Mix a solution of 1 mL lemon juice and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 3
small lines.
19)
Repeat step 18 nine more times.
20)
Mark 1 small triangle ½ cm in size on the bottom of ten cups.
21)
Mark 2 small triangle ½ cm each in size on the bottom of ten cups.
22)
Mark 3 small triangle ½ cm each in size on the bottom of ten cups.
23)
Mix a solution of 0.1 mL sugar and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 1 small
line.
24)
Repeat step 23 nine times.
25)
Mix a solution of 0.5 mL sugar and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 2 small
lines.
26)
Repeat step 25 nine times.
27)
Mix a solution of 1 mL sugar and 10 mL tap water and put it in the cup with 3 small
lines.
28)
Repeat step 27 nine more times.
(etc)
Results:
Quantitative:
Age group
sweet
Cannot
taste
Can
taste
Sour
Can taste
Cannot
taste
Salty
can taste
Cannot
taste
bitter
Can taste
Cannot
taste
70-73
.01
g/ml
.001
g/ml
.05
g/ml
40-43
.1 g/ml .01
g/ml
.005
g/ml
.01
g/ml
.001
g/ml
.05
g/ml
10-13
.1 g/ml .01
g/ml
.05
g/ml
.1 g/ml
.005
g/ml
.01
g/ml
.005
g/ml
.01
g/ml
.001
g/ml
Figure 1-number of subjects able to determine taste based on age
10
can taste sweet .01g/ml
9
can taste sweet .05 g/ml
8
can taste sweet .1 g/ml
7
can taste sour .01g/ml
6
can taste sour .05 g/ml
5
can taste sour .1 g/ml
can taste salty .01g/ml
4
can taste salty .05 g/ml
3
can taste salty .1 g/ml
2
can taste bitter .001g/ml
1
can taste bitter .005 g/ml
can taste bitter .01 g/ml
0
age group 10-13
age group 40-43
age group 70-73
Qualitative:
The data I will put here will include any data discussing the color of the solutions, the
smell of the solutions and any other information regarding data that cannot go into a data
table/graph.
Conclusion:
TBD
Background Research Paper:
1)
I decided to research this project because we were at my grandpa’s house and he
made food that was way too salty to eat. I wondered if the ability to distinguish between
concentrations in the major tastes differed based on age.
2)
I researched other studies that have been done and found a huge study done
through National Geographic that did a similar test based on people’s differing ability to
distinguish smells based on age.
3)
The information told me that people could not smell weaker scents as well in older
age groups. However, in the younger age groups people could not distinguish between
complex scents. The researchers could not determine if this was due to an actual inability
to smell the scent, inexperience with the scent, or inability to describe the scent.
4)
I decided to design an experiment that tested three different age groups ability to
distinguish between a weak, medium and strong concentration for the four main taste
senses in the human mouth. I am testing three different concentrations that are evenly
spaced and three age groups that are evenly spaced.