Oxidation Lab
By: Mariajose Lopez, Sara Rodriguez, Santiago Quitian and Alejandro Lizcano
Introduction
To understand this lab you need the following information. First, oxidation is the loss of electrons during a reaction by a molecule, atom or ion. Also some elements lose electrons more easily than others. These elements are said to be easily oxidized, metals including sodium, magnesium, and iron are easily oxidized. And finally when an atom or compound is oxidized, its properties change.
With this information clear, enjoy!
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Para comprender este laboratorio, necesita la siguiente información. Primero, la oxidación es la pérdida de electrones durante una reacción de una molécula, átomo o ión. Además, algunos elementos pierden electrones más fácilmente que otros. Se dice que estos elementos se oxidan fácilmente, los metales como el sodio, el magnesio y el hierro se oxidan fácilmente. Y finalmente cuando un átomo o compuesto se oxida, sus propiedades cambian. Con esta información clara, ¡disfruta!
Hypothesis
Which halve of the apple will rotten more?
Will the amount of oxygen affect the apperiance of one of the halve of the apple on the plastic bag?
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The one that is outside because the enzymes in the apple react with the oxygen when the apple was cutted and had contact with the oxygen, then the apple produced melanin to protect the apple, which is the brown thing we see when the apple gets rotten. Because the apple in the bag has less oxygen, oxidation doesn't affect the slices of the apple that much.
Materials
- 1 plastic bag
- One apple
- Something to cut the apple
- One normal bolt
- One rosty bolt
Procedure
First you have to cut the apple in half, then choose any of the halves and put it in a plastic bag, then be sure that there is no oxygen left inside the bag, if it is possible tie it with tape, then you have to leave it 6 hours but in our case (48) hours, after 48 hours have passed, finally compare the apples to see which of the halves is more rusty or rotten.
Process of the apple
At 9:42 am on 13/09 the half was exatly as the other half.
At 5:00 pm on 14/09 the half of the apple that was outside was getting more rotten.
At 6:20 am on 15/09 the apple outside was very, very rotten than the one inside.
Comparing the bolts
We recocnized that the second bolt was rusty because some of their physical properties like color, touch and smell. Because unlike the normal bolt it was like an orange and brownish color that symbolizes the oxidation, it also smelled kinda weird unlike the normal bolt.
Conclusions
Our hypothesis was right, the slice of the apple that was outside was more rotten than the one inside the plastic bag. Also that proved our point because the slice of apple that was outside was more rotten because it had more contact with the oxygen and that made the apple cells polyphenol oxidase (PPO) , enzymes in the chloroplasts rapidly oxidize phenolic compounds naturally present in the apple tissues to o-quinones and then O-quinones produce the brown color by reacting to form compounds with amino acids or proteins.
Roles
