Emerging Journalist

Emerging Journalists is a student-led publication that accepts submissions from middle and high school students, showcasing original research and creative projects across a variety of fields.

Amount of Caffeine in Different Energy Drinks

Myro.L (1) Aiden.V (2) Tyler.K (3)

(1) Tuscarora High School

January 10, 2024

This experiment investigated how accurately popular energy drinks report their caffeine content by chemically extracting and measuring the caffeine in each beverage. Six drinks—Red Bull, Monster, Celsius, Ghost, Bang, and Reign—were tested using dichloromethane extraction, evaporation, and mass measurement to determine their true caffeine levels. Reactivity was replaced with accuracy, measured by comparing the extracted caffeine to each drink’s labeled value. Results showed that most drinks contained less caffeine than advertised, with Bang having the largest deficit at 25 mg below its label, while Reign contained 10 mg more than expected. Overall, the findings supported the idea that caffeine labels are not fully reliable, as only two drinks exceeded their stated amounts. These results highlight how caffeine content can vary significantly between products, emphasizing the importance of verifying label accuracy when studying energy drinks or considering their health impacts.

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