Organic

Compound
Testing
By: Monica Gol
Period 2
 11/20/08
Purpose/Problem:
The purpose of this lab is to find out the different ways you could
find organic compounds by using indicators.

Background Information:
Organic compounds contain the element carbon, and
carbohydrates, lipids, and protein all depend on it. The carbohydrate in
this lab would be a simple sugar, a monosaccharide; the lipid would be
starch, a polysaccharide; and the protein is a disaccharide.

Hypothesis:
I think that cheerios contain simple sugar and some forms of
protein, I don’t think that there are any starches in there.

Experimental Procedures:
Materials:
• Corn syrup • Iodine
• Starch • Brown paper bag
• Gelatin • Sudan 3
• Oil • Biuret reagent
• Unknown solution or • Water bath
random food • 8 test tubes/rack
• Benedicts solution and holders

Procedures:
Part A- Test for simple sugar
1. Mark two test tubes 1 and 2. Place 5 drops of
water in test tube 1, and 5 drops of corn syrup in
test tube 2.
2. Add 5 mls of Benedict’s solution to each tube
3. Heat the tubes a boiling water bath for at least
three minutes
4. The final color in test tube 2 indicates the
presence of a simple sugar. It is a positive test for
simple sugar.
5. Observe and record any color changes.
Part B- Test for Starch
 1. Mark two test tubes 3 and 4. Place 5 drops of
water in test tube 3, and 5 drops of starch in test
tube 4.
2. Add 2 drops of iodine solution in each tube.
The color of the diluted iodine in test tube 3 is NOT a
color change. It is only the result of diluting the iodine.
3. The final color in test tube solution 4 indicates
the presence of a starch. It is a positive test for
starch.
4. Observe and record any color changes
Part C- Test for Fats and Oils
1. Spread two drops of olive oil on a brown paper
bag. On another piece of paper add two drops of
water. Hold the paper up to the light.
2. Observe and record any differences
3. This is the “spot test for fats and oils”. Staple
the pieces of paper bag to your data sheet or state
who your lab partner is

Another test for fats and oils uses a chemical called

Sudan III. Sudan III is only soluble in fats and oils; it’s
not soluble in non-fatty foods.
1. Mark two test tubes 5 and 6. Place 5 drops of
water in test tube 5, and 5 drops of oil in test tube
6.
2. Add 2 drops of Sudan III to each tube.
Shake/mix well.
3. Observe and record any color changes.
Part D- Test for Proteins
1. Mark two test tubes 7 and 8. Place 20 drops of
water in test tube 7 and 20 drops of gelatin in test
tube 8.
2. Add 4 drops of Biuret Reagent to each tube
3. Observe and record any color changes
Part E for unknown organic molecules in food
1. Choose one food from the ones provided in the
lab or obtain the unknown provided by your teacher
2. Grind/mix/Blend that food with water(only if
necessary) to obtain a dissolved mixture of that
food
3. Mark 4 test tubes A, B, C, and D. Divide the
food mixture in to 4 test tubes to test for each of
the organic compounds mentioned in Parts A-D
above.
4. Follow the procedures outlined in Parts A-D for
each test tube
 5. Observe and record any changes.

Data:

Cheerios
IndicatorObservations Before Observations After
Indicates +/-
Benedicts Dark blue Turned red +
Iodine Peach Turned very black +
Biurets Breen Turned light blue -
Brown
Brown Brown -
Paper

Wheat thins
Benedicts Blue Red-orange +
Iodine Peach Black +
Biurets Clear Dark grean +
Brown brown clear -
Paper

Skittles
Benedicts Blue Orange +
Iodine Peach Dark Brown +
Biurets Green None -
Brown brown Brown -
Paper
Conclusion:
The purpose of the experiment was to see the relationship
between organic compounds and indicators, and find out simple
tests that show what organic compounds are in a food. This is
need very much today so we can monitor what we should/should
not eat, especially with our fatty foods these days. The three
foods that we tested found that there were both simple sugars
and starch. But only the wheat thins had protein and none of the
three had any indicated sugars. The control group throughout the
lab was water. The dependent variables were the indicators, and
the independent were the foods that we tested. My hypothesis
was proven partly wrong, but I found in the other cereal there
were signs of protein. I think that the error in this lab was the
testing for oils and fats because it’s hard to rub dry foods on a
brown paper bad and get some oil on it without getting oil form
our skin.