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Starch
Experiment
State the
Problem:
What foods or vegetables contain starch?
Research
the Problem:
Before we start, we need to know more about starch. Studies show
that starch is white, odorless, tasteless carbohydrate powder
soluble in cold water. This information will help us extract
starch from our samples for more accurate tests. If we have any
colorful fruit or vegetables for test, we can eliminate the
chance of mixed colors and inaccurate tests. Starch also plays a
vital role in the biochemistry of both plants and animals. It is
made in green plants by photosynthesis, and is one of the main
forms in which plants store food. Animals obtain starch from
plants and store it as glycogen. Both plants and animals convert
starch to glucose when energy is needed. Commercially, starch is
made chiefly from corn and potatoe.
Hypothesis:
Starch is a substance in most fruits and vegetables, which means
that it is most likely in the vegetable and fruit samples. Since
starch is an inexpensive and widely available food product, it
is being used as a food additive in many food products.
Experiment:
In order to perform this project,
we must use Iodine solution as a reagent for starch. One drop of
this solution on any sample can detect starch by changing the
color of the tested area to dark blue.
We will be using the following samples:
| Fruits
and Vegetables |
Food
Products |
| Rice |
Milk |
| Potatoes |
Yogurt |
| Grains |
Ice
Cream |
| Apples |
Macaroni |
| Carrots |
Nuts |
| Broccoli |
Cereal |
Materials Used:
Procedure: We crush the wet
samples, add cold or room temperature water and filter the
solution to get a clear liquid. Next, test the samples of the
clear liquid for starch and record the result.
Now, Analyze your
data and come up with a conclusion.
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