How much gas is released when consuming your favorite beverage?

Voiceover

Presenter(s)(s)

Nikolette Kersting

Abstract or Description

Have you ever wondered why you were gassy? It may be because of your drinks. Beverages do not label amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) added to them. My experiment will help people to know what beverages to drink at different times so they are not gassy. I took eleven of the most consumed drinks in the USA and mixed them with vinegar to mimic stomach acid. I mixed ¾ C (55361.6 mL) of each drink and 2 tbsp (29.5735 mL) of vinegar in a plastic bottle and immediately put a balloon on top of the bottle to trap the gas that was released. Then I set them on a heating pad for 10 minutes.  Results showed not every beverage contains gas or releases it when consumed. Carbonated drinks all release gas while non-carbonated drinks do not. Among drinks that did have added CO2, I noticed something: although carbonation seems similar when consumed, carbonated beverages had big variations in CO2 amount. I found soda releases the most gas, however amounts released can be different in different types of soda. Based on my experiment, if someone is attending an important event and does not want to be embarrassed by an unexpected burp, water, Gatorade, coffee, and orange juice are recommended.