My 10 year old recently completed the following project for his 5th grade science fair. We decided to share a detailed explanation of the steps he took, in an effort to help any of you who might need some inspiration for your own science fair. My son chose a question that he wanted to explore further — Why do some foods mold faster than others? We spent quite a bit of time at the library and online, seeking answers as to why certain foods might mold faster than others, and defined what exactly mold is.
Using his own previous knowledge, as well as the information gathered from our research, my son came up with the following hypothesis: Natural foods will mold faster than processed foods. For this experiment, we used 2 types of fresh fruit blueberries and strawberries , 2 different breads white bread and a whole wheat hamburger bun , 2 types of vegetables frozen corn and fresh carrots , and 2 processed snacks potato chips and licorice.
Each of the foods was placed in a clear plastic bag to begin the experiment. After placing each of the foods in a clear plastic bag, he observed and documented the changes for 2 weeks 14 days.
Do any of them have mold yet? Which is the first to mold? Record the order in which the samples are moldy. Were the food samples that are normally refrigerated the first to mold? Going Further Want to take this experiment a step further? Related Posts. Acid Rain Effect on Metal. Legendary Bottle Rocket. Easy Universal pH Paper Experiment. For starters, scientists think that molds have been around for about three billion years, making it highly doubtful that they'll disappear anytime soon.
Second, the study of molds has led to much knowledge and many benefits, including the discovery of penicillin, a medicine obtained from a mold called Penicillium notatum. Penicillin was the first antibiotic drug used, and is credited with saving countless lives. Other beneficial molds are those used to age and flavor cheeses think blue cheese , and those used to make soy sauce. If you like to drink soda, you need to give credit to the molds that manufacture the citric acid used to flavor many soft drinks.
And certain types of fungi are used to improve soil conditions for farming. The study of molds also has revealed which ones are dangerous and should be avoided. Some molds can cause allergic and respiratory problems, while others produce toxins that can be extremely harmful-even in small amounts. You've probably already encountered quite a few molds and fungi, some of which can be quite surprising. Listed below are a few facts you may not have known.
As you can see, there are many practical reasons to learn about molds and fungi. They have affected people, animals, and plants for thousands of years, and will continue to do so. Knowing how molds grow on and affect the foods you eat can help you protect that food, and prevent or slow down the damage caused by molds.
In this science fair project, you'll work with five samples each of three different foods: bread, cheese, and oranges. Your control group is those foods, as they are normally found in your house. For instance, the cheese control would be the cheese that's normally kept in your refrigerator. The bread would be the loaf stored in the plastic bag it comes packed in, and the oranges would be those that are kept in your house in the fridge or in a basket or bowl on the counter.
The variable group you'll work with is the same foods, but they will be sealed in zipper-lock bags and placed in different areas of your home.
You'll need to create different environments in which to store the foods in order to conduct your experiment. Every home has areas with different temperatures and humidity levels. Your bathroom, for instance, is a humid spot. If your home has an attached garage, it's probably cooler than inside your house. The inside of a dresser drawer that's rarely opened has a different environment than the kitchen.
The windowsill on which the sun shines every morning is much different from the damp, dark cellar. In this experiment, you'll be locating five different growing environments within your own house. Look for locations that are dry and dark, cold and dark, moist and warm, brightly lit, dark and damp, and so forth. Once you've located the different growing environments, you'll be placing three bags in each of the five locations.
One bag will contain oranges, one bread, and the other cheese. You'll need to take daily observations of the food in all of the bags. What you need to do now, before you start the experiment, is to come up with a hypothesis, or a guess about what will happen. Do you think that the foods you keep in a dresser drawer will get as moldy as those stashed in the bathroom? Think about where you may have observed molds and fungi in your home.
Are there particular areas where you've noticed mildew or a moldy smell? If so, consider that when you're making your hypothesis. Mold and yeast containing foods:. Cheeses: all cheese, especially moldy cheeses like stilton are the worst, buttermilk, sour cream and sour milk products. Alcoholic drinks: beer, wine, cider, whiskey, brandy, gin and rum. Condiments: vinegar and foods containing vinegar, mayonnaise, pickles, soy sauce, mustard, relishes. Poveda Pakhomov Pundit.
What makes food decay faster? Some of the primary culprits are air, moisture, light, temperature, and microbial growth. Most fruits and vegetables spoil easily because of damage caused by microorganisms. Microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast and molds need water and nutrients for growth, energy and reproduction.
Corsino Federschmid Teacher. Which fruits rot the fastest the slowest? At the other extreme, Apples are the slowest to rot. You can slow down the apple from turning brown with lightly salted water. Also, putting apples and bananas together hasten the ripening of the bananas.
Isiah Latado Supporter. Where does mold grow the fastest? Mold grows best in warm, humid environments, according to University of Illinois Extension. When light affects the temperature, it changes the growth of mold. For instance, in a cool area with temperatures below the mids, mold grows faster when lights are left on to warm the surrounding air.
Josias Koehnen Supporter. Why does bread mold? The molds that grow in your mold terrarium feed on the bread , cheese, and other foods. A mold produces chemicals that make the food break down and start to rot. As the food is broken down into small, simple parts, the mold absorbs them and grows. Bakhta Mendi-Urkullu Supporter. Why does cheese mold faster than bread?
Moisture content is important, as well as pH levels.
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