Bubble Gum
Observations
Brand: Double Bubble
24 mm bubble
Brand: Super Bubble
30 mm bubble
Brand: Sour Bubble
46 mm bubble
Brand: Baseball
74 mm bubble
I only changed one variable and then measured the result. Everything else was controlled, creating a fair test.
Got that? Here's a quick review...
Conclusion: The Baseball brand of bubble gum is chewiest. I know this because I was able to blow the biggest bubble - 74 mm - after ten minutes of chewing with this brand of gum.
Make the Most of Your Chew!
Purpose: To determine which brand of bubble gum is the chewiest
Change: Brand of bubble gum
Measure: Size of bubble blown after 10 minutes of chewing
Keep everything else the same
We tested to determine which bubble gum brand would be chewiest in order to reduce the amount of gum that Saskatchewan residents chew
I would recommend the Baseball brand of gum to others. It is the chewiest after ten minutes. This means that people may be able to chew it longer and, therefore, chew less gum over time. This could reduce the amount of gum reaching Saskatchewan landfills.
Fresh Ideas
- Researchers are working on gum that degrades faster so it is easier to clean
- The company Gumdrop have designed a recycling system to turn gum into rubber containers or children's toys
And then?
What happens next?
The mixed gum is rolled out repeatedly until it is the right thickness for a stick of gum
The gum base is melted at a factory
to make bubble gum art.
The gum is then cut into sticks by a special machine called a 'scorer'
Sugar & corn syrup are mixed into the melted base to sweeten it
Some more creative people
The gum is left to cool so it won't be sticky
And then we chew it!
...but maybe not as well as Chad Fell who blew the World's Biggest Bubble - 50.8 cm in diameter!
Each stick of gum is wrapped & put in a package before being shipped to stores
Flavour & colour are added. Some flavours are made from plants like mint. Others - including most fruit flavours - are made from chemicals.
play with their food
ENERGY!
This process requires A LOT of energy.
Energy may come from fossil fuels, which leads to environmental pollution.
The British Government spent $14 million US cleaning up gum from sidewalks before the London Olympics!
The Wrong Way
The Right Way?
- People throw gum onto sidewalks or stick it to buildings
- Here, gums takes 3-4 years to break down
- It can be removed by steam cleaning, but it is very expensive
- Gum leaves a stain on the pavement, leading to spotted walks
Most manufacturers agree that gum should be thrown in the trash BUT....
- There is no research on how long it takes for gum to biodegrade so it's difficult to state it's true environmental impact
Conclusion
Bubble-Popping Facts
Worldwide, people chew about 560,000 sticks of gum annually. Where does all this gum go?
- Bubble gum has been chewed for over 9,000 years
- Each year, over 374 trillion sticks of gum are made
- The worldwide gum industry is worth about $19 billion US
- Gum production can lead to pollution as it requires a lot of energy
- Gum is hard to dispose of as it takes a very long time to biodegrade
- If you choose to chew gum, select a brand like the Baseball gum which lasts longer
How is Bubble Gum Made?
- Gum used to be made from tree resin
- Today, it is made from a 'gum base' made from latex
- Latex is a milky, white fluid made by some plant seeds
- Latex can also be made by chemists in a lab
This means, in Saskatchewan, gum goes to one of 697 landfills across the province.....
.... such as this landfill near Regina.