> > I have to do a science fair project for my 8th grade science class.
> > I have NO CLUE what to do.
>
> The only science fair project that made any impression on me, back at school, was the one somebody did about what various drinks really do to your teeth. Maybe you could try that one. It grosses people out, it's a genuine experiment, and it attracts extra brownie-points from teachers for promoting healthy eating. ;-)
>
> The kid at my school did it by getting something analogous to human teeth - I forget what, it might actually have *been* teeth, although God knows where you'd get *those* from - perhaps it was small bits of animal bone or something. They had glasses containing various sodas, juices, and plain water, with a bit of the "tooth" in each one, and left them for a month or something to see what effect it had. Don't forget it'll have to be a drink that won't spoil in the time you have.
>
> They also had another set with a bit of metal, like a nail, in each glass, just out of interest. Seeing what a glass of Coke can turn a galvanised steel nail into, in just a few weeks .... wow. Eww.
>
> Brunnen-"the soda companies are probably still wondering why their sales dropped to zero for several weeks in the area around my school"G

I quote the Coca-Cola website FAQ:

"Comments like 'a tooth placed in a glass of Coke will disappear' are misleading. A tooth will not disappear if left in a glass of Coke. Actually, the 'tooth in Coke demonstration' in no way creates a real-life situation. The teeth in your mouth are alive, not dead. They're exposed to Coke for only a short amount of time rather than sitting for days in a glass of Coke. Any acidic beverage, including orange juice, would produce the same results. Your teeth are constantly bathed by saliva, which helps buffer the effects of acids from beverages and foods, greatly reducing any effect on tooth enamel. Finally, saliva contains minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus and fluoride, which replace any mineral loss from the tooth enamel."

-eric "Of course, I still don't like cola" sleator
Tue 23 Jan A.D. 2001