Energy in a gummy bear

Robin would like to go into space. But their rocket needs a good fuel. Is the bag of candy the answer? Into space thanks to a gummy bear? And how do you get a gummy bear on fire? Thanks to potassium chlorate! Curious how? Read on!

Potassium chlorate is a substance that melts at a very high temperature, 356 degrees Celsius. If you make it even hotter, around 400 degrees Celsius, it breaks apart into two other things: potassium chloride and oxygen gas.

Gummy bears contain sugar, which is something that gives a lot of energy when burned. All the things you need for fire are there: oxygen, fuel (the sugar), and heat. So the sugar in the gummy bear starts burning and releases a lot of energy. This also releases carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water. This type of burning is called an oxidation reaction.

In our bodies, something similar happens to a sugar called glucose. Our body burns glucose to get energy, but it does so at a much lower temperature. This is because our body has special helpers called enzymes that make the reaction faster and easier.