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AJAS · 2025 Chemistry (inferred)

Ellie Hellman · Iowa Academy of Science

Overview

In this project I tested to see if changing the pH of proteins could affect their ability and efficiency in the foaming process and making of meringues. I whipped egg whites and aquafaba with acidic (cream of tartar), neutral (no additives), and basic (sodium carbonate) solutions, recording the density and pH of the meringues to see how the pH affected the foaming. I found that changing the pH to be more acidic moved the pH of the meringue closer to its isoelectric point and made it more susceptible to denaturation and therefor improved the foaming of the proteins the most. I learned that despite my initial beliefs, when one changes the pH of a protein further away from the isoelectric point it increases its solubility and how long it takes to denature. This caused the sodium carbonate trials to mainly do to worst and control trials doing second best.

Competition history

  • AJAS 2025 Category not listed

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Source: AAAS Annual Meeting (Confex) / American Junior Academy of Science

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