Biology

Extended Experimental
Investigation

Rebecca Tkal
12 B
Miss Johnstone
 Table of Contents

1. Abstract..........................................................................................................2
Aim.................................................................................................................2

Hypothesis .....................................................................................................2

Method ..........................................................................................................3

2. Introduction....................................................................................................4
3. Results .........................................................................................................4
4. Experimental Design......................................................................................5
Design of research ......................................................................................5

Controls, dependent and independent variables .........................................5

Diagrams and photos ....................................................................................5

Safety requirements.......................................................................................8

5. Discussion......................................................................................................8
6. Conclusion.....................................................................................................9

1. Abstract
Aim
The aim of this EEI is to examine the effects of microwaving on the
concentration of Ascorbic Acid in a sample.

Hypothesis
Based on research there should theoretically be a lower concentration of
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) in the solution, post the solution being microwaved.
Materials
2 x vitamin C tablets
400ml distilled water
1x bottle of 1% starch solution
1 x burette
1 x stand
1 x clamp
1 x funnel
1x 250ml bottle of iodine solution
Access to 1x microwave
25 x 50 or 100 ml beakers
1 x large (250ml+) waste beaker.

Method
1. Prepare Ascorbic Acid Standard Solution
1. Dissolve 2 vitamin C tablets in 200ml of
distilled water.
2. Add enough distilled water to make a 400ml
solution.

2. Standardise your solution.

1. Add 25ml of Ascorbic Acid Standard Solution to a
beaker
2. 10 drops of 1% starch solution must be added to
the Ascorbic Acid solution.
3. Rinse the burette through with a small amount of
iodine solution and then fill it and record the initial
volume.
4. Titrate the solution with iodine solution until the
end point is reached. The end point is reached
when the blue colour persists for longer than 20
seconds while swirling the solution.
5. Record the final volume of the iodine solution.
6. Repeat the titration at lease twice. The results
should agree to within 0.1ml

3. Microwave samples.
1. Divide the ascorbic acid solution into 16 x 25ml
samples
2. Microwave 4 of the samples for 2 mins on high.
3. Microwave 4 of the samples for 2 mins on low
4. Microwave 4 of the samples for 2 mins on med
5. The 4 other samples are titrated straight away.
4. Titrating your samples both microwaved and non microwaved. (Exactly
the same as standardising your solution.)
 1. Take non microwaved samples and titrate these
first.
2. Microwaved samples are then titrated
3. Titrate until the endpoint is reached. With iodine
this will be until the colour lasts longer than 20
Sample
Trial 1 2 3 4
1 10.7ml 10.7ml 10.6ml 26.4ml
2 18.7ml 18.8ml 18.8ml 18.4ml
3 18.4ml 18.4ml 18.0ml 18.3ml
4 18.0ml 17.9ml 18.1ml 17.8ml
seconds.
4. Record you results.

2. Introduction.
Observations and questions were raised of the worlds around us. These
observations and questions included:
• Allegations that microwaving destroys nutrients.
• Does microwaving negatively affect food? Focusing on vitamin levels
• Where plants choose to live depending on environmental factors.
• How plants adapt or change due to where they live.
• How plants grow due to environmental factors.

Research was conducted to refine the experiment. According to research all

food undergoes chemical and biological changes when heated (source 2)
Microwaves work by exciting the water molecules in the food or solution and
heating the molecules from the inside out hence cooking the food from the
inside out as opposed to a conventional oven which cooks from the outside in.
(source 8) Although food cooked in a microwave may not present a radiation
risk the presence of water soluble vitamins in vegetables means that the
water molecules in these vegetables are excited and this results in a lower
concentration of vitamins such as B12 and C in vegetables. (Sources 3 & 4 &
6) Therefore due to the research gathered the testing of a water soluble
vitamin such as Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is being carried out.

The aim of this EEI is to examine the effects of microwaving on the

concentration of Ascorbic Acid in a sample.
Based on research there should theoretically be a lower concentration of
Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) in the solution, post the solution being microwaved

3. Results
A table of results is recorded below
Trial 1 was the baseline trial. This trial was not microwaved. Trials 2-4 were
micowaved for 2 minutes at varying intensities; high (100 power), medium (50
power) and low (10 power) respectively.

Titration Results

30
Volume (ml)

25
20
15 Result
10
5
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Sample

4. Experimental Design
Design of research
Titrations were used to determine the concentration of vitamin C as
opposed to pH strips because of the ease of reading the volume of
indicator. Ascorbic acid was the preferred vitamin used for testing for its
solubility.

Controls, dependent and independent variables

Independent Dependent
• Changing of power in • Concentration of Ascorbic acid
microwave  no power, high in solution due to microwaving.
(100power), medium (50
power), low (10 power).

Diagrams and photos

Ascorbic acid solution microwaved on medium power.
Rinsing burette
Solutions.

Safety requirements
Gloves – staining and excessive iodine exposure
Lab coat – staining and excessive iodine exposure.

5. Discussion.
When the non microwaved trial is compared to the microwaved trials there
is an obvious change in the concentration of vitamin C in the solution.
Within the microwaved samples there is a much smaller difference
however the difference is still present.
Between microwaved and the closest non microwaved sample there is an
8ml difference in the indicator volume for a reaction, a rather large
difference. Amid the microwaved samples there is a much smaller
difference. An average difference of .6ml between trials 2 and 3, and an
average difference of .3ml between trials 3 and 4.

Anomalies of data excluded averages of trials are as follows

Trial 1 – 10.6ml  1 anomaly excluded 26.4 possible higher concentration
of ascorbic acid, small amount not dissolved.
Trial 2 – 18.6ml
Trial 3 – 18.2ml
Trial 4 – 17.9ml

Future investigations that would prove useful would be the ability to test
the concentration of ascorbic acid when it is heated by other methods such
as boiling on a hot plate to determine whether the
6. Conclusion
It can be concluded from the results of the Extended Experimental
Investigation that there was a lower concentration of Ascorbic acid after
the ascorbic acid samples had been microwaved, thus supporting the
stated hypothesis. Despite one anomaly the results were consistent with
the hypothesis, both between trials that were microwaved and those that
were not. The difference between the trials that were microwaved and
those that were not gave the biggest difference between results. Between
the trials that were microwaved the results were much closer nevertheless
the gradual drop in the amount of indicator required to obtain a reaction
was present.