Hashim Chishty

In this investigation, I was investigating the various amounts of vitamin C present in different
types of juices. To determine this, I used dichlorophenolindolphenol (DCPIP), a blue dye.
Vitamin C is an antioxidant and when it comes into contact with DCPIP, it reduces it causing
the DCPIP to change colour from its original blue to eventually colourless (or slightly pink in
some cases). The levels of Vitamin C can be calculated by observing at which point the juice
decolourises the DCPIP in comparison to the standard solution prepared which contained
1% vitamin C solution (1cm³ of 1% vitamin C contains 10 mg of vitamin C).

Into a test tube, 1cm³ of 0.1% DCPIP solution was pipette. Using a burette, 1% vitamin C
solution was added drop by drop to the DCPIP solution. After each drip, the test tube was
gently shook. Drops were added until the blue colour of the DCPIP solution had
disappeared. The volume of vitamin C required to decolourise (reduce) the DCPIP (1cm³ of
0.1% standard solution) was 0.42cm³ vitamin C. This procedure was then repeated with
different juices (tesco squash, carton orange juice, carton grapefruit juice and freshly
squeezed orange juice) which replaced the 1% of vitamin C solution.

12

10

4 Volume of juice required to

decolourise 1cm3 of 1% DCPIP
solution in cm3
2

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In this investigation, the independent variable was the various types of juices used as a
source for vitamin C which then changed the dependant variable every time (the amount of
vitamin C required to completely reduce the DCPIP solution).

Biology write up (DCPIP)

Hashim Chishty

For data for each source of vitamin C (juice) the data was collected from a minimum of 8
investigations (some 10) whom each gave averages. An average of this was calculated and
used as a value. This meant that the data was precise and reliable.

If 1³ of 1% vitamin C contains 10 mg of vitamin C and it took 0.42cm³ of 1% Vitamin C to

decolourise 1cm³ of 1% DCPIP, that means that 0.42cm³ vitamin C contains 4.2 mg of
vitamin C. Freshly squeezed orange juice took 0.93 cm³ to decolourise the DCPIP meaning it
took longer and therefore means it has a lesser vitamin C content. If we divide 0.93 cm³
(standard solution) with 0.42³, we can see that it took more than 2.2 times more solution to
decolourise the DCPIP. 4.2/2.2=1.9 mg vitamin C in freshly squeezed orange juice. Using this
trend gives the following values: Vitamin C content of 1% Vitamin C is 4.2 mg, of freshly
squeezed orange juice is 1.09 mg, of carton grapefruit is 1.2 mg, of carton orange juice is 1.3
mg and of tesco squash is 0.16 mg.

Anomalies in obtaining may be due to error in collecting the data, measuring errors, zero
errors and random errors all could have contributed to this.

Biology write up (DCPIP)