What you need:
- Zotz candy
- bowl of water
- table knife or tool to smash Zotz
What to do:
- Unwrap the Zotz and put candy in water.
- Use the knife handle to crack the candy. Does the candy start fizzing?
A look at the ingredient list reveals why the candy fizzes. Besides sugar and corn syrup, colors, and flavors, the candy contains malic acid, tartaric acid, and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). When you crack the candy to let in the water, the acids react with the sodium bicarbonate to produce the carbon dioxide bubbles. It's the same reaction that you have with a vinegar and baking soda volcano.
Next time you try Zotz candy, remember to enjoy the bubbles. You're eating a self-contained acid test!
If you can't view the video, here's my six-year-old's illustration of the process.
Loralee, thanks for this information, which only you have troubled to explain with such clarity. I'm trying to write a paragraph about the few candies since 1960 that have been truly innovative, and I want to explain the chemistry of Zotz. Candy Experiments to the rescue! Baking soda reacting with acid. Exactly what I needed to know.
ReplyDeleteIf you had any more questions, you could try emailing the company. I emailed them to confirm the chemistry behind the bubbles, and they answered back quickly.
ReplyDelete