National Standards for Grade Levels 9-12
 
Studying the physical and chemical composition of toothpaste leads student consumers to evaluate the best toothpaste value for price. Students learn about the development and demineralization of enamel to better understand the functions of various tooth paste components. They perform five experiments to evaluate different brands of toothpaste for percentage solids, pH, foaming action, abrasive action, and specific ingredients. They use the data to evaluate toothpaste effectiveness. This kit is ideally taught as guided inquiry/qualitative analysis. Allow four 45 minute lab periods. Designed for 24 students working in groups of four.
Required, but not included: balance, infrared lamp or hot plate, evaporating dishes, lab glassware, plastic tubing, Petri dishes, and samples of five brands of toothpaste.