Re: Do apples rot faster in vinegar, water, cat litter, or broken eggs?

Sounds like a fun experiment.    As you know, rotting is caused by the digestion 
of the food source by micro-organisms, so anything that is full of microorganisms 
such as bacteria, or which fosters the growth of bacteria, is going to make the 
apple rot faster.  

In order to control your experiment, it is important to place an apple in a 
plastic bag with no other items.  This is because bacteria/yeast/molds from your 
students hands and from the air are most likely going to be the cause of the 
"rotting" of the apples, rather than your experimental additions.  

The rate of rotting can also vary with temperature and moisture, so be sure to 
have all of your samples in the same conditions.  This might be tricky with the 
vinegar and water samples.  Vinegar will probably pickle the apple, and therefore 
preserve it.  However,it will also make the apple squishy, which might be mis-
interpreted as rot.  And of course, water will make it more moist, and more 
favorable for rotting.

Apple slices are more likely to dry than to rot, so make sure each apple bag 
contains enough moisture so that rotting actually occurs.  

Have fun!