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Chewing Gum Experiment

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Introduction As a teenager inserts a familiar, gelatinous substance into his mouth, the elusive memories of childhood become perceptible once again. With an incomprehensible flavor, one may question the reason as to why organizations would desecrate this highly acclaimed children’s novelty, chewing gum, by substituting the primary ingredient, sugar, with substances adopting unintelligible names such as xylitol and sorbitol. To an unsuspecting individual, they are baffled to discover that this new-and-improved gum tastes virtually identical to the original product. These obscured ingredients are none other than sugar alcohols; while the application of them in sweets is controversial, it is insightful to know that they are organic compounds …show more content…

However, they are generally produced by hydrogenating sugars, which provides similarities in molecular structure though sugar alcohols do not have the same cyclohexane rings present within their formations, unlike carbohydrates such as glucose and lactose (“What Is Sugar Alcohol,” 2015, para. 4). An inquisitive mind may aspire to divulge what percentage of chewing gum is actually composed of sugar. Students within Serenity Smith’s chemistry class recently discovered how to deduce material composition and was subsequently assigned with this very task. By testing various brands of chewing gum, it is easily conjecturable that the makeup of sugar would account for different percentages among the different gums (Bubble Gum “A Real Sugar High,” n.a., p. 1). To fully comprehend this concept, it is essential to understand the fundamentals of sugar alcohols. With inconsistent structures, it is probable that the composition of sugar in chewing gum will contrast between ones that are sugar-based and others that …show more content…

This is completely relevant to the composition of sugar alcohols within gum, as separate options accommodate varying levels of sweetness. When compared to the approximate sweetness of sucrose, sorbitol retains around 60% of it, while xylitol possesses sweet flavor equivalent to that provided by general sugars (Calorie Control Council, n.d.). With this information in mind, the students will indubitably be able to develop logical conclusions about any

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