Holes in Bread

Introduction

Have you ever noticed the holes in bread? If you look at some bread really closely, you will find holes in it. A molecule actually makes these holes. Molecules are tiny particles that make everything around us. How do these molecules make the holes in bread?

Hypothesis

In this experiment, I will see what really makes these

Materials

The materials I used in the experiment were a clear (science) tube, spoon, a small cup of yeast, a small cup of sugar, a glass of warm water, a Popsicle stick, timer and flashlight.

Procedures

First, using the spoon, I added three scoops of yeast into the science tube. Second, I added three scoops of sugar to the tube. (Yeast is an ingredient of bread, and sugar is food for yeast). Then carefully, I filled the tube but only to make it three fourths of warm water. After, I start and continued to stir the ingredients together using a Popsicle stick until the water turns the same color as the yeast. (I used a timer, but it isn’t necessary). Next, when the same color revealed itself, I took the flashlight and shine almost directly (very closely) to the tube. Finally, you should be able to see the bubbles.

Data

An illustration of what would be going on in the tube if you were using a microscope.

Results

Molecules are tiny particles that make everything around us. One of the ingredients for making bread is yeast. Yeast is a living thing that feeds on the sugar molecules. It breaks the sugar molecules apart into new molecules. Sugar is food for the yeast. The reaction in the tube took a little time but turn out successful. When I looked closely with a flashlight, it revealed the bubbles which bubbled up the tube. It looked as if it was boiling. When the sugar molecules broke up, it became carbon dioxide gas molecules (and alcohol molecules). These carbon dioxide gas molecules were the cause of the bubbles I saw in the tube and also bread. The chemical reaction also in the tube also happens with bread. When yeast is added to bread dough, it breaks apart the sugar molecules in flour. When the carbon dioxide gas bubbles are trapped in the bread dough, it leaves holes when the bread is baked.

Explanation

Holes in Bread:
1. What gas causes the bubbles?

• Carbon dioxide gas molecules make tiny bubbles
  2. How was the gas produced?
• The bubbles are made by a chemical reaction. Yeast is a living thing, so when the yeast feeds on the sugar molecues, it breaks them apart into carbon dioxide molecues and then the carbon dioxide molecues make the gas bubbles.
  3. How does CO2 get in the ocean?
• The ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, but it’s a very long process. The oceans also holds most of the carbon because CO2 more soluble in water than a lot of different gases.