Consuming acidic or sugary drinks can lead to tooth decay by dissolving the outer, protective enamel layer.
A student designed an investigation to test the effect of five different drinks on samples of artificial tooth enamel.
She placed a 5.0 g sample of artificial tooth enamel into 50 mL of each drink. The samples were left immersed for five days at room temperature.
The percentage change in mass for each enamel sample was calculated.
The table below shows the results.
| Drink | Orange juice | Apple juice | Diet cola | Energy drink | Sparkling water |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage change in mass (%) | -2.1 | -1.8 | -2.9 | -4.2 | -0.2 |
Which drink is most likely to cause the greatest amount of tooth decay?
Apple juice
Diet cola
Energy drink
Orange juice
