Candy Chemistry
Chocolate, marshmallows, chewing gum, cotton candy… this page of candy chemistry links will give you a serious sugar rush. Have some fun and play with your food while learning the science behind it. Just don't eat anything that was in a lab environment!
Marshmallows
- Density in Action: Can You Sink a Marshmallow?
Take the marshmallow challenge! How can you sink something full of air bubbles? - What's in Marshmallows?
It’s a foam! A very delicious one. - Marshmallows: The Perfect Media for Demonstrating
This treat is a squishy mass of science in these mini experiments about Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law, and the speed of light. - The Science Behind a Perfectly Toasted Marshmallow
What’s perfection? Golden brown? Charcoaled? Whatever your choice, learn about the science that makes it happen. - Sweet and Savory Science
Chemistry model building? Sort of. Take a look at this Peeps candy diorama featuring the International Year of Chemistry. - Monster Mallows
Send a marshmallow from ordinary to enormous in the microwave. - Make a Secret Marshmallow Message
Turn a treat into a messenger. What will your “Maillard-ed” message say?
Gummy Treats
- Investigating Osmosis Using Water and Gummy Bears
These gummy bears are taking an overnight soak. What will happen? - Gummy Bear Lab Meeting
Do some gummy bear research, then see what the “Journal of Applied Polymer Confections” has to say. - Make Mouthwatering Candy Melt
Gummy bears and hard candies go head-to-head (or cup-to-cup) in this solubility exploration. - Gummy Worms
Make a worm. Eat a worm. It’s not a dare—it’s chemistry! - Gummy Candy-Like Models Can Help Students with Blindness
These bite-sized pieces let students explore molecular structures—with their mouths.
Gum
- A Sticky Situation: Chewing Gum and Solubility
Chocolate and gum? Why do these two tasty things have an “Ew!” factor when you put them together? - How Much Sugar Is in Bubble Gum?
Ready, set, chew! Design a procedure to figure out how much sugar is in your favorite brand of gum. - The Secret Science of Gum
Why is gum chewy? Where does the flavor go? Answer these questions and more. - Conservation of Mass Gum Lab
Is gum food? Students design an experiment, then decide. - Why Doesn’t Gum Dissolve?
This mysterious stuff keeps sticking around. How?
- How Sugar Molecules Are Manipulated in Candy Making
You’ll have a hard time choosing which of these sweet science recipes to cook up first! - Rock Candy: An Edible Study of Crystallization
The ingredient list: sugar, water. The goal: tasty crystals. - Pop Rocks Expander
They pop, sizzle, and crackle in your mouth. What’s inside these unusual little candies? - Science of Cooking: Making Candy
Fire up the “Candy-o-Matic” to learn how different kinds of candy are made, then take a tour of a lollipop factory and the “Fudge House.”
- Real-life Data Analysis
Let’s get down to some serious data analysis—“How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?” - 3D Print a Gummy Version of Your Face
Hungry? Print yourself some candy—of yourself! See what’s up with 3-D printing. - Wintergreen Candy and Other Triboluminescent Materials
Crunch Wint-O-Green Lifesavers in a dark room and see what happens! (Would you also believe the author’s name is Sweeting? Sweet!) - Stained Glass Sugar
It’s a window you can eat. See what it takes to get sugar crystals to make a translucent sheet.
- Chocolate: The New Health Food. Or Is It?
Is chocolate healthy, junk food, or something to be savored? Read this ChemMatters article and decide for yourself. - Toxicity & Aphrodisia—The Chemistry of Chocolate
Will it kill you or make you fall in love? - Candy Science—Floating Letters (pg. 9)
M&M's may not melt in your hand, but what happens when you put them in water? - Chocolate Crystal Concoctions
This stuff is “choc full of science.” Try this tasty lab—but remember not to eat any of the chocolate that was used in a lab environment. - The Science of Chocolate: Interactive Activities
Melts in your mouth, not in your hand… But why? Try some taste tests to find out.
- Chocolate as Poison
If asked to name some common poisons, would chocolate make the list? - The Sweet Lure of Chocolate
Drool over this site as you learn the history of chocolate and try a hands-on tempering activity. - Can Chocolate Give Me a Happy-High?
Is chocolate a “love drug”? What’s in it? And what does that stuff do to your brain and body? - From Flavonoids to Flavor
This chemist turned his sights to chocolate. Read about where it led his career.
- How Does the Rainbow Candy Experiment Work?
A plate, water, and M & M’s are all you need to try this surprising experiment. What’s happening? - Candy Chromatography
How many colors can be found in a black jellybean? - More Choices for Natural Colors
Candymakers don’t need to feel blue—they now have an option for natural dye in a blue candy. - Candy Chromatography
Red is just plain red and blue is just plain blue, right? Check and see in this investigation of candy colors. - Solution Science: Colorful Candy Chromatography
Red Skittle. Red M & M. Head to head. Candy to candy. What will you find?
- Volcano Candy
Look out! It’s going to blow! Check out the volcano action as this candy erupts and foams. The bonus—you get to eat it afterward. - Spurting Science: Erupting Diet Coke with Mentos
What’s better than doing the Diet Coke and Mentos geyser? Doing it again! Change it up to see if you can make it go even higher. - Exploding Mentos Drink
It’s a twist on the classic Mentos and Diet Coke geyser reaction. First find a freezer and some water. - Exploring the Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment
It's fun to watch the Diet Coke explode from the bottle, but have you ever wondered why it happens? - Color Changing Coke and Mentos
Track a pH change during the reaction with acid–base indicators.
(all sites accessed November 2021)
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