Volume/Mass Of Soda Bottles
By: Mandy
Purpose Of Our Experiment
We are conducting this experiment, to see if the amount of liquid on
the bottle label is the same amount actually in the bottle, to see if
consumers are actually getting for what they’re paying for. As
consumers in a financial crisis, we need to know how much we’re
getting, and if it’s a fair amount. In this experiment, we will be able
to tell.
At the beginning of the experiment, we had only the amount of liquid
on the label. This is clearly printed on the bottom of any label on a
bottle, such as a 20 oz bottle of soda. This was all of the data we
had, so we were basically starting from scratch.
Our hypothesis for this experiment is that the amount on the label is
amount the bottle ca really hold, not the amount you are paying for.
I believe this because using this method will save the beverage
company a lot of money by only filling up the bottle so much, but
saying they’re filling it up with more. This is a great way to do
business, because most people wouldn’t bother to really check the
amount, but just keep getting ripped off every time they buy a soda.
Necessary Tools For Experiment
• Graduated Cylinder
• About 4 bottles
• Triple Beam Balance
• Sink/Faucet
• Large bucket
Safety Precautions
• General Safety Awareness- We were
working with water, so we had to be
careful not to get wet.
• Spill Alert- we are working with water,
which could spill on the floor and people
could fall.
Procedure For This Experiment
Here is the following procedure that we used to find the mass of the water during this
experiment:
1.
Using a triple beam balance, find the weight of an empty bottle, and record.
2.
Fill up the bottle to the brim, and carefully measure the bottle again, and record the
weight.
3.
Subtract the weight of the bottle from the total weight of the full bottle, so you will get the
weight of just the water, without the excess weight of the bottle.
Here is the following procedure that we use to find the Volume of water during this experiment:
1.
Fill the same bottle with water from the very top.
2.
Using a gradulated cylinder, gently pour the water from the bottle into the cylinder,
recording the amount.
3.
Repeat until the bottle is empty. Dump the water that you previously used to measure
into a bucket.
4.
Count the amount of liquid in each time you filled the cylinder. Add them up, and record.
5.
To find the amount o the label, just look at the label on the bottle (in ounces) and
record)
Repeat for Each Bottle
Data Retrieved From Our Experiment
Type Of
Bottle
Mass Of
Full Bottle
Mass Of
Empty
Bottle
Mass Of
Water
Volume Of
Water
Volume On
Label
Coke Bottle
Large
649.4 mg
25.3 mg
624.1mg
625.3ml
591ml
Gatorade
Small
403.85mg
28mg
375.85mg
227.2ml
355ml
Sunny D
229.9mg
12.4mg
217.5mg
222ml
200ml
Coke Bottle
Small
410.68mg
26.7mg
383.98
385.9ml
355ml
Conclusion
After our experiment, our team discussed our outcome. All of the bottles we tested were accurate,
due to careful measurements and precise recording. It seemed to be that some of the bottles had
labels smaller than the actual amount of liquid, but one had more on the label than the bottle could
hold! I know this may sound bizarre, but my team repeated the experiment, and got the same
answer.
My personal hypothesis was that the amount on the label would be less than the bottle could
actually hold. I believed that because it would be a great way to save a company money. My
hypothesis was correct. I can prove this because in the large Coke bottle, the label read 591ml,
but our experiment showed that the bottle could really hold 625.3ml of water. And in the Gatorade
bottle, the label read 355ml, but the bottle could actually hold 377.2ml. The smaller coke bottle
claimed to store 355ml, but the bottle can really hold 385.9. This proves that the company really IS
ripping you off every time you buy a bottle of Pepsi. As for the Sunny D bottle, we are still puzzled
on our outcome, but there is probably a logical explanation to that, and we will follow-up on it.
The only thing we really had difficulty with was the water. The nozzle wasn’t clearly marked, and
instead of turning the water off, we accidently turned the water on full blast, soaking us and our
equipment. Luckily, no major damage was done, except for a few wet notebook pages. Next time,
we will be sure to keep our notebooks at a safe distance, to prevent damage.
So, are soda companies charging you for more than you’re getting? Yes. Is it a smart business
technique? Yes. Do I feel silly for wasting my money on soda that I’m not getting? Of course. But
that’s the way business works. Give a lot, get a little. So, I would proudly like to say our
experiment is a success, a humiliating one to the soda industry, but a success to us.
Sources:
• Photos: Mandy Juszczyszyn
• Research: Q=SM2
• Bottles: Sunny D, Coca-Cola, Gatorade