Science Fair Project
RISING HIGH
MADISON DOWER | MRS. MCNEES | PERIOD 2
|SYRACUSE JR. HIGH
Statement of the Problem
 Which leavening agent (baking soda, baking powder
or yeast) will rise the highest in cupcakes?
Research
 What I found:
 Leavening agents are used in batters to cause the food to rise.
In the presence of moisture, heat, acidity, or other triggers the
leavening agent reacts to produce gas. The gas is trapped and
makes bubbles which cause the food to rise.
 Citation:
“Leavening Agents”. yrm.org. Yahweh’s Restoration Ministry.
Web. November 13, 2015
Research Continued
 What I Found:
Baking soda is made up of sodium bicarbonate which is an alkaline
compound. This means that when it is mixed with an acid it produced
carbon dioxide. Baking Powder is similar to baking soda, it contains
sodium bicarbonate as well, and it also contains an acidic compound.
When mixed with water it creates the same reaction as Baking soda,
but since it has an acidic compound you would need more to make it
rise high. Yeast is the oldest of the leavening agents, and it is a live
organism. Since yeast is an organism it needs food, preferably sugar.
Yeast eats complex sugar and breaks them into simple sugars, the
simple sugars are converted into carbon dioxide which, in the oven,
makes bubbles and
 Citation:
Willow Arlen. “Baking Soda, Baking Powder, and Yeast –Blowing Bubbles
In The Name of Science”. Will Cook For Friends. 2015. web. November
13, 2015

Hypothesis
 If I test which leavening agent will rise the highest
then it will be the yeast because the yeast eats the
sugars to expand and it is a live organism.
Procedure: Materials
 2 egg whites
 Cupcake pan
 4 Tbs. sugar
 Oven
 4 tbs. butter
 Cupcake liners
 2 tsp. vanilla
 Oven mitts
 ½ cup flour
 Timer
 ½ tsp. baking powder
 Ruler
 ½ tsp. baking soda
 Pencil or pen
 ½ tsp. yeast
 Journal for recording
 2 pinches salt
 Labels
 3 Tbs. milk
Procedure: Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Use the ingredients for the cupcakes to make the
batter.
Put the cupcake batter into the oven and cook for 14
minutes
Repeat steps 1 and 2 using the different leavening
agents (make sure to cook cupcakes without any for
your control)
Measure each cupcake and find the average of each
leavening agent cupcakes.
Record the measurement in your journal
Compare the results.
Variables
 Constants: Recipe, the time in the oven, the
temperature of the oven
 Controlled variables: Cupcakes without a leavening
agent
 Independent (manipulated) variable: The leavening
agents (baking soda, baking powder, yeast)
 Dependent (measured) variable: The height of the
cupcakes
Data/Observations
 The yeast cupcakes actually rose the least. I think
this is because the batter was runnier because the
yeast needs to be activated with warm water and
sugar. The baking powder cupcakes rose the highest.
The different cupcakes each looked different. The
control hardly rose at all and was a light color. The
baking powder rose very high as was a light color as
well. The baking soda cupcakes rose just to the top of
the liner and was a darker color with bubbles. The
yeast cupcakes didn’t rise and were a darker color.
Data/Observations
Type of
Cupcake
Cupcake
1 (cm.)
Cupcake
2 (cm.)
Cupcake
3 (cm.)
Cupcake
4 (cm.)
Cupcake
5 (cm.)
Cupcake
6 (cm.)
Average
(cm.)
None
2
(Control)
2
1.5
2.5
3
2
2.16
Baking
Powder
4
3.5
4
4.5
4.5
4
4.08
Baking
Soda
3.5
3
3
3.5
3
3.5
3.25
Yeast
2
2.5
2
2.5
1.5
2
2.08
Data/Observations
Conclusion
P: The baking powder made the cupcakes rise the
highest.
H: My hypothesis was not supported, I though the
yeast would make the cupcakes rise the highest but I
was wrong.