Acid Candy Test...repost and updated!

With Halloween right around the corner, I thought NOW would be a great time to blog about some Candy Science activities.  Here is the famous ACID CANDY TEST...




  I orginially found this activity on the web and modified it to meet the needs of a classroom of 4th graders.

To do this test, you need clear cups, wonka candy, water and baking soda. You will put the candy in the water and then add a tsp of baking soda. If there is citric acid in the candy, it will bubble. Fun huh?

I bought a huge pack of Wonka candy.... with Nerds, BottleCaps, Sweet Tarts and Laffy Taffy in it. We were able to see a reaction with all of the candy types except for the banana flavored Laffy Taffy. I wonder if it wasn't sour enough?


The reason for the reaction? Sour candy is made with citric acid from fruits like lime/lemons. When you mix the candy diluted in water with baking soda, it emits a gas. It only emits the gas if it encounters an acid.

We made a lot of observations - we noticed that a lot of the food coloring from the candy was diluted in the water. We noticed that the baking soda sunk and made clumps on the candy. We noticed many bubbles. Nerds made the most bubbles.

Here is how I set up the materials. I put the baking soda in the bowl with three spoons. I had a measuring cup with water in it and clear glasses. I also put the collection of candy on the tray. For listening purposes, we stated the directions one at a time:
1. Get a clear cup
2. Pick your candy
3. Pour the water in (you may want an adult to do this)
4. Put in a spoonful of baking soda.
5. Watch and Observe


After it was completed, we graphed our results according to the candies chosen. In this rotation, all the candies had a reaction.

For the Updated Blog I have added a printable that you can use in your classroom...


Click here to get your FREE printable...


Hope you will enjoy it too!

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