Is the low pH of carbonated drinks what causes its effect on meat? Data part 2

11. What do data mean? (Data Analysis)

From the data collected it can be seen that raw meat placed in carbonated drinks increased on average the most in both surface area and mass. With increase in mass for both raw chicken and pork meat placed in root beer or coke ranging from an increase of 22.79% for raw pork in root beer, 92.00% for raw chicken in coke, 110.80% for raw chicken in root beer and 119.93% for raw pork in coke. There was an percentage increase in surface area of 12.12% for raw pork in root beer, 36.26% for raw pork in coke, 48.86 for raw chicken in root beer and 63.28% for raw chicken in coke. Cooked meat placed in carbonated drinks increased in mass and surface area as well however they increased significantly lesser than that raw meat place in carbonated drinks. With increase in mass for both cooked chicken and pork meat placed in root beer or coke ranging from an increase of 51.72% for cooked pork in root beer, 54.71% for cooked chicken in root beer, 61.69% for cooked chicken in coke and 87.34% for cooked pork in coke. There was an percentage increase in surface area of 2.83% for cooked pork in root beer, 4.46% for cooked chicken in root beer, 8.94% for cooked chicken in coke and 11.92% for cooked pork in coke. Both raw and cooked chicken and pork meat placed in dilute phosphoric acid increased in surface area and mass, however the average increase was significantly lesser than that of pieces of meat of the same types placed in carbonated drinks ranging from 0.57% increase in mass for raw pork in dilute phosphoric acid of pH4.4 to 80.90% increase in mass for cooked pork in dilute phosphoric acid of pH 2.9. The increase in total surface area ranged from 0.43% in raw pork in dilute phosphoric acid of pH 4.4 to 25.02% for cooked pork in dilute phosphoric acid. 

The change in the mass and total surface area of the pieces of meat in dilute phosphoric acid was probably due to osmosis occurring and water molecules moving from an area of high water potential(solution meat is place in) to an area of lower water potential(pieces of meat) through the partially permeable members found in the pieces of meat. However since carbonated drinks(root beer and coke) have a lower water potential than water, meaning that if osmosis was the only cause of the increase in mass and total surface area of the pieces of meat, the pieces of meat in coke should have had a smaller increase in mass and total surface area when compared with the pieces of meat in dilute phosphoric acid. This is as since water has a higher water potential and the pieces of meat have similar water potentials, more water would enter the pieces of meat placed in dilute phosphoric acid. However the pieces of meat placed in coke increased in mass and total surface area much more than the pieces of meat placed in dilute phosphoric acid, meaning that the change in total surface are and mass was not solely because of osmosis, but probably was mainly due to another process such as diffusion, where components in the carbonated drinks enter the meat. Also from observations made, the coke and root beer solutions which contained  pieces of raw chicken or pork meat separated to form a yellowish coloured translucent liquid as well as black coloured sediments which settled at the bottom of the container.  Pieces of raw meat placed in carbonated drinks also became soft and fragile while pieces of cooked meat in carbonated drinks turned a black colour on their surfaces As the pH of carbonated drinks and the dilute phosphoric acid is equal, this also means that since the pieces of meat place in carbonated drinks changed in mass and total surface area greatly as well as has added changes to them such as turning a black colour or becoming soft while the pieces of meat in dilute phosphoric acid did not this means that the effect of carbonated drinks on meat is not caused by carbonated drinks' low pH.

12. What can you deduce from the discussion of your data analysis? (Conclusion)

With the data collected, I am able to deduce that meat placed in carbonated drinks increase greatly in mass and total surface area, with raw meat having greater increases than cooked meat. This is while pieces of meat placed in dilute phosphoric acid which is of equal pH increases in mass and total surface significantly lesser, this means that osmosis was not the main cause of the increase in mass and surface area of the pieces of meat, and probably another process such as diffusion of molecules in the carbonated drinks into the pieces of meat was the main cause. Also, I am able to deduce that the carbonated drinks that has raw meat place in it will separate, and only the combination of raw meat and coke causes a great change in the solution itself. Cooked meat in carbonated drinks will also turn a black colour on their surfaces. I can deduce that the low pH of carbonated drinks does not cause their effect on meat since dilute phosphoric acid which was of the same pH as the carbonated drinks did not have the same effect on the pieces of meat as carbonated drinks did.