Fair Idea Project Psychology Science

Fair Idea Project Psychology Science

Fair Idea Project Psychology Science

Food chemistry makes for interesting science fair ideas. Try duplicating the experiments done by biochemist, Shirley Corriher, the author of CookWise: The Hows and Whys of Successful Cooking, which shows how scientific insights can be applied to traditional cooking. Here are two easy 5th grade science fair projects examples.

Science Experiment on Food Acidity and Alkalinity

Cooking creates a variety of chemical reactions. In one of Ms. Corriher's experiments on food acidity and alkalinity, she demonstrates how when red cabbage is added to a hot pan it turns blue. Red cabbage has anthocyanins, which are water soluble pigments that may appear red, purple or blue according to their ph level. pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of a solution. The heat breaks down the cabbage’s red anthocyanine pigment, changing it from an acid to alkaline, and causing the color to change to blue.