Introduction

In 1767, English chemist Joseph Priestley successfully infused water

with carbon dioxide gas, creating the first artificially carbonated water,
a major milestone that laid the foundation for modern soft drinks. Over
time, flavors like lemon, ginger, and herbs were added to make the
beverage more appealing. By the 19th century, these fizzy concoctions
were sold in pharmacies as health tonics. Iconic drinks like Coca-
Cola, created in 1886 by Dr. John Pemberton, and Pepsi, invented
by Caleb Bradham, began as medicinal syrups but quickly became
popular everyday beverages. The invention of mass bottling machines
and advancements in refrigeration further boosted their availability.
Over the 20th century, soft drinks evolved into a global industry, with
endless flavors, packaging innovations, and massive advertising
campaigns. Today, soft drinks are sold in nearly every country,
available in cans, bottles, etc., and come in a wide range of flavors and
styles, from sugary colas to fruit-flavored sodas and sugar-free diet
versions. In many regions, soft drinks are an everyday beverage, often
served with meals, at social gatherings, and in fast-food chains. Today,
while soft drinks remain a favorite refreshment across the world,
concerns about sugar content, artificial ingredients, and health impacts
have led to the rise of diet and low-calorie versions This widespread
popularity highlights not just the commercial success of soft drinks,
but also their cultural significance in today’s world. Despite changing
trends, the soft drink continues to be a fascinating blend of science,
history, and culture, and an everyday product worth exploring through
investigation.
 Theory
Soft drinks are beverages that contain carbon dioxide gas (CO₂)
dissolved under high pressure. This gas gives the drink its fizzy and
effervescent quality. According to Henry’s Law, the solubility of a
gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the pressure applied to it.
Henry’s law comes into play every time a carbonated drink is opened.
The gas above the unopened carbonated drink is usually pure carbon
dioxide, kept at a pressure which is slightly above the standard
atmospheric pressure. Because of Henry’s law, the solubility of carbon
dioxide in the unopened drink is also high.

When the bottle is opened, the pressurized CO2 escapes into the
atmosphere. As the partial pressure of CO2 in the atmosphere above the
drink rapidly decreases, the solubility of the carbon dioxide in the
drink also decreases (due to Henry’s law). This causes the dissolved
CO2 to come to the surface of the drink in the form of tiny bubbles and
escape into the atmosphere. If the carbonated drink is left open long
enough, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the drink will reach an
equilibrium with the concentration of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, causing it to go flat (the drink loses its ‘fizzy’ taste).

It can be noted that the Henry’s law constant can be expressed in two
𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
different ways. If the constant is defined in terms of 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 , it is
referred to as the Henry’s law solubility constant (denoted by ‘H’). On
the other hand, if the proportionality constant is defined in terms of,
𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒
𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦
it is called the Henry’s law volatility constant (denoted by
‘kH’).
 Aim Of
Experiment
To determine the contents (Sugar, Acids, CO2) in soft drinks.

Materials
Required
•Glass wear:
Test tubes, Test tube stand, Conical flask, Beakers (100 mL, 250 mL),
Pipette, Burette, Rubber stopper with delivery tube, Dropper, Water
bath or hot plate, Distilled water
•Soft drink sample
•Chemicals required:
Lime water (Ca (OH)₂ solution), pH paper strips, Sodium hydroxide
(NaOH) solution, Phenolphthalein indicator, Calcium carbonate
powder (CaCO₃), Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃), Ammonium
molybdate solution, concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃), Benedict’s
reagent (for reducing sugars),
 Procedure
(A) To determine the presence of Sugars in Soft Drinks

Soft drinks mainly contain two types of sugars, Sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁)

and High-fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), to add sweetness to the drink

(i) To determine presence of Sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁)

1. Take a sealed bottle of the sample soft drink, open it, and gently
shake it to release the dissolved carbon dioxide.
2. Take about 5 mL of the soft drink in a test tube and add a few drops
of Dilute HCL to it. Heat the mixture in a water bath for 5–10 minutes.
This step breaks sucrose into glucose and fructose (both reducing
sugars).
3. Cool the mixture slightly and add a few drops of dilute NaOH to
neutralize the acid. Test the pH with litmus or pH paper to make sure
it’s neutral
4. Add about 2mL of Benedict’s reagent to the neutralized solution.
Heat the test tube in a water bath for 2–3 minutes. If the solution turns
from blue to orange, or brick-red, the presence of reducing sugars is
confirmed indicating that sucrose was present and has been hydrolyzed
into glucose and fructose.
(ii) To determine presence of High-fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
1. Take a sealed bottle of the sample soft drink, open it, and gently
shake it to release the dissolved carbon dioxide.
2. Pour 5mL of the sample soft drink into a test tube and add about
2mL of Benedicts reagent to the test tube
3. Heat the mixture in a water bath for 2-3 minutes.
[Link] the solution turns from blue to orange or brick red this indicates
the presence of reducing sugars, which suggests HFCS may be present.

(B) To determine the presence of Acids in Soft Drinks

Soft drinks commonly contain three types of acids — citric acid,
phosphoric acid, malic acid and carbonic acid, which act as
preservatives and enhance flavor.

(i) To determine presence of citric acid (C6H8O7).

1. Pour a little of the sample soft drink into a China dish, dip the pH
paper into it and let it dry.
2. Once dried, compare the colour obtained on the pH paper with the
given pH scale.
3. A pH of around 2.5 to 3.5 confirms the presence of citric acid, as it
typically falls within this range in soft drinks.

(ii) To determine presence of Phosphoric acid (Phosphates).

1. Take 5mL of the sample soft drink into a test tube and add few
drops of ammonium molybdate solution to the soft drink sample along
with a few drops of concentrated nitric acid (HNO₃).
2. If phosphates (from phosphoric acid) are present, a yellow
precipitate will form, indicating the presence of phosphoric acid.

(iii) To determine presence of Malic acid.

1. Add a small amount of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to a test
tube.
2. Pour the soft drink sample into the test tube.
[Link] malic acid is present, it will react with sodium bicarbonate,
producing carbon dioxide gas (bubbles), indicating acidity.

(iv) To determine presence of Carbonic acid (H2CO ) 3

1. Add a small amount of calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) to a test tube

2. Pour the soft drink into the test tube.
3. If carbonic acid is present, it will react with calcium carbonate to
produce carbon dioxide gas, which will bubble up and release fizz.

(C) To determine presence of Carbon Dioxide in Soft

Drinks
1. Pour some lime water into a conical flask.
2. Take a freshly opened soft drink sample and pour it into a test tube.
3. Immediately seal the test tube with a rubber stopper fitted with a
delivery tube.
4. Make sure the other end of the delivery tube is dipped just inside the
lime water in the conical flask.
5. As carbon dioxide escapes from the soft drink, it travels through the
delivery tube into the lime water.
6. If lime water turns milky, it confirms the presence of carbon dioxide
due to the formation of calcium carbonate.
 Result
• Test for Sugars
1. Using benedicts reagent, the solution from blue, turned to orange or
brick red confirming the presence of Sucrose and High-fructose Corn
Syrup
•Test for acids
1. The pH scale showed a value between 2.5 and 4 confirming the
presence of Citric Acid.
2. Upon adding ammonium molybdate solution and concentrated nitric
acid (HNO₃) to the sample soft drink, the solution forms a yellow
precipitate confirming the presence of Phosphoric Acid.
[Link] adding the sample soft drink to sodium bicarbonate there was
brisk effervescence confirming the presence of Malic Acid.
4. Adding a small amount of the sample soft drink into calcium
carbonate, brisk effervescence was formed confirming the presence of
Carbonic Acid.
•On testing for CO2 gas, lime water turned milky confirming the
presence of Carbon Dioxide gas.
 Conclusion
Through this investigatory project, a detailed analysis of the chemical
composition of soft drinks was successfully conducted using simple
and accessible laboratory techniques. Various tests confirmed the
presence of key ingredients such as carbon dioxide, acids (like citric
and phosphoric acid), and sweeteners including sucrose, high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS). he lime water test effectively demonstrated
carbonation by showing the presence of carbon dioxide gas. pH tests
and titration with sodium hydroxide confirmed the acidic nature of soft
drinks, while ammonium molybdate helped detect phosphoric acid. In
addition, sugar presence was verified through classical chemical tests
like Benedict’s reagent.
This project highlights the extent to which soft drinks contain not just
sweeteners and flavorings but also various food-grade acids and gases
that affect both their taste and impact on health due to their high sugar
content, acidity, and artificial additives contributing to health issues
like tooth decay, obesity, and metabolic disorders when consumed in
excess. Their acidic nature may also erode tooth enamel and affect
digestive health over time.
Overall, the project enhanced our understanding of everyday beverages
through practical chemistry, emphasizing the importance of scientific
investigation in identifying the components of widely consumed
products.
 Bibliography
• NCERT class XII chemistry textbook
• Modern ABC Practical chemistry class X11
•Laboratory Manual of Chemistry class XII
•Wikipedia