Who Took Jerells iPhone?

-- An Organic Compound Mystery

Jerell is a 10th grade student who works at McDonalds on the weekends.

While on break, Jerell was studying for his biology test and listening to music
on his new iPhone. There were four other workers taking a break at the same
time, each having something different for lunch.

Jerells girlfriend stopped by near the end of his break, and he rushed out to see her and
forgot his iPhone and biology book in the break room. When he realized, he hurried back and
found only his biology book and some spilled food. His iPhone was gone!

At first Jerell freaked out, but he calmed down when he realized he could use his knowledge of
organic compounds to figure out which of his coworkers left the spilled food on his biology
book while taking his iPhone.

Solving the Mystery

Today you and your classmates will solve the mystery of who stole Jerell's iPhone by figuring
out which coworker's lunch had the same organic compounds as the evidence Jerell found at
the crime scene.

1. Begin by predicting which types of compounds you expect to find in each type of food.

Food Do you expect this food to contain:

Glucose? Starch? Protein? Lipid (fat)?

Pretzel

Peanut Butter
and Jelly
Beans and
cheese
Whole-milk
yogurt

2. Next, you will work in groups performing experiments at the lab tables to test actual samples for the
types of organic macromolecules they contain. You will also explore models of organic molecules and
be quizzed on how well you can recognize examples from different groups of macromolecules.

1
Follow instructions posted on Tables 2-5 and record your test results in the appropriate cells of the data
table below. For Tables 1 and 6, follow the instructions posted at the table.

Food Carbohydrate Tests Protein Test* Lipid Test

(liquid Protein
samples of
each food Test strip Glucose Iodine Starch pH meter present Lipid
provided) color present test color present reading (pH<7) present

Bean and
cheese

Pretzel

Whole-
milk
yogurt

Peanut
Butter and
Jelly

Jerells
evidence

*We are using pH as a proxy for protein today. pH is not a real test to see if protein is present in a substance.

3. Compare your predictions with your data results. Were there any differences? If yes, describe these
differences.

2
Who took Jerells iPhone?

4. The table below shows what each worker in the break room was eating while Jerell was studying. Use
the information from your data table to complete this table to show which types of organic compounds
would be in each lunch and which types of organic compounds were found in the combined liquid +
dry evidence.

Worker
in break Lunch he or she was eating Glucose Starch Protein Lipid
room

Jose Bean burrito with cheese

Ashley Regular whole milk yogurt

Bruce Toast with butter and jelly

Kiara Pretzel

Thief Liquid evidence

5. Complete the following table to summarize the evidence and your interpretation of the evidence.

Worker Did he/she How do you know?

in break take Jerells
room iPhone? Describe the evidence that supports your conclusion.

Jose

Ashley

Bruce

Kiara

6. Who took Jerells iPhone? Do you have any doubts about your conclusion? Explain.

3
 Table 1.

Can you tell what element is what color? List them here:

Black -

Red -

White -

??? -

What molecules are modeled?

What do you notice about them? What is the same? What is different?

Sketch them below:

4
TABLE 6

What molecules are modeled?

1. _____________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________

3. _____________________________________________

4. ______________________________________________

5. ______________________________________________