Question

Diet versus Regular Soft Drinks (take assumptions or random readings)

Cans of soft drinks are so common that many people have done much of this exploration without realizing it. You, too, have probably cooled soft drink cans in ice water for a picnic. Here is your opportunity to see if you can make some generalizations about their behavior in water.   

Materials

•     1 12-fl oz (355 mL) aluminum can of diet soft drink, unopened

•     1 12-fl oz (355 mL) aluminum can of regular (non-diet) soft drink, unopened (use same brand as the diet soft drink if possible)

•     container of water large enough to totally submerge both beverage cans in an upright position

•     measuring cup calibrated in mL

•     (if available) plastic, glass, or steel containers of diet and regular soft drinks of equal volumes, unopened (Use containers made of the same material.)

Question

1(a) Holding the unopened cans in an upright position, submerge both cans in the container of water. Let go and record their orientations and whether they sink or float.

1(b) Repeat above question 1(a), but release the cans in a horizontal position. Record your observations. Explain any changes in orientation of the cans.

1(c) What property of matter accounts for the cans floating or sinking? How does this property differ for each soft drink can? If each container is made of aluminum and occupies the same volume, what do your observations say about the mass of the contents? Read the content information on the cans. What, if any, are the differences in ingredients?

1(d) With the measuring cup, measure the volume of the liquid in each can. How do these volumes compare to the volume of the can? How do you think the densities of the liquids compare? What would have to be done to determine the densities of the liquids?

1(e) Completely fill the cans with water. Submerge them in water and record whether they sink or float. Look up the densities of water and aluminum in your textbook. How do these values contribute to the behavior of the cans of beverages?

1(f) If materials are available, repeat question1(a) using plastic, glass, or steel containers of diet and regular soft drinks of equal volumes. Does the composition of the container make a difference in its floating/sinking behavior? Compare and contrast the results with those obtained for the aluminum cans.

1(g) What factors account for the differences in density observed?

Answer 1