Lesson 3 of 6 · Information Processing
Experiment⭐ 30 XPHow Taste Works
Information Processing.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
Nature loves to surprise the careful watcher.
Mind = Blown
🔬 The more you look, the more nature shows you.
Make a hypothesis first
Before you start: write down what you think will happen, and why.
What You'll Learn
Taste buds on the tongue detect five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami. Smell greatly enhances the sense of taste, which is why food seems bland when you have a cold.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- cotton balls
Safety First
- Have an adult check your set-up before you start, and tidy everything away afterwards.
Steps
Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.
Map your taste zones: dip cotton swabs in salty, sweet, sour, and bitter solutions. Touch different areas of your tongue and record where each taste is strongest.
Draw a detailed diagram of what you observe.
Write a conclusion: what did your results show? Did they match your prediction?
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 3What are the five basic tastes?
Where you see this in real life
This shows up in your everyday life more than you'd think.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Try one experiment in real life this week — even a tiny one.
For the dinner table
“What's the most surprising thing you learned today?”
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How Taste Works
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
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