Taste in Space
Your Mission: Explore taste sensations on the tongue and experiment to see which senses influence taste.
- conduct an experiment to see where on the tongue they can identify 4 of the 5 basic taste sensations
- conduct a series of taste experiments to appreciate the different senses which influence taste
- learn how an astronaut experienced the changes in taste intensity before and during a mission
- learn how reduced gravity affects the human body
Part 1:
- 4 clean containers, at least
- 1 L in size, labelled 1 to 4
- Salt
- Sugar
- Lemon Juice
- Grapefruit Juice
- Drinkable water
- Plastic Cups
- Per Group of 2:
- 4 small disposable cups + water to rinse mouth
- 4 droppers
- 1 marker
- Student worksheets
- Small hand mirror
- magnifying glass
Part 2:
- Per class:
- Computer with Internet access
- LCD projector
- Per Group of 2:
- 6 closed containers with
food items - 3 droppers or syringes plus
3 plastic spoons - Water
- Blindfold
- (Optional) Pair of disposable gloves
- Student sheet and data sheet for the activity
- 6 closed containers with
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