SFS PUBLIC SCHOOL & JUNIOR COLLEGE

ETTUMANOOR

All India Senior School Certificate Examination

PROJECT ON CHEMISTRY

LEAFY VEGETABLES:
“STOREHOUSE OF MINERALS”
Name :ANN SARA BABY Class : XII

Roll No : 15 Register
Number :

This is to certify that this is a bona fide report of the project work done by
ANN SARA BABY of Standard XII during the academic year 2019-20,
submitted for the practical examination held in SFS Public School & Junior
College, Ettumanoor.
Date:

Teacher in-charge Principal

…………………………….. …………………………..
External Examiner Internal Examiner
…………………………….. …………………………...
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I wish to express my deep gratitude and sincere thanks
to the Principal, Rev Fr Soby Thomas, and Vice Principal,
Rev Fr Mijo Kulamkuthiyil, for their encouragement and
for all the facilities they provided for this project work.
I sincerely appreciate their magnanimity by taking me
into their fold for which I shall remain indebted to them.
I would like to sincerely thank both Mrs,Jismi James and
Mrs,Mily Thomas, my chemistry teachers, who guided me to the
successful completion of this project. I take this opportunity to
express my deep sense of gratitude for their invaluable
guidance, constant encouragement, constructive comments,
sympathetic attitude and immense motivation, which have
sustained my efforts at all stages of this project work. Also I
would like to thank Mrs,Sukanya B, our Lab Asst, who helped
us in carrying out the project successfully.
I would like to thank my parents who helped me throughout for
the completion of this project.
I also express my sincere thanks to my classmates who helped
me carry out this project work successfully, and thank them for
their valuable advice and support, which I received time to time.
Besides all, I thank God Almighty for His eternal presence and
blessings.
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CONTENTS
SL.NO. TOPIC PAGE NO.

1. INTRODUCTION

2. AIM

3. MATERIALS REQUIRED

4. THEORY

5. PROCEDURE

6. OBSERVATION

7. RESULT

8. CONCLUSION

9. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION
The increasing number of anaemic children in
Kerala is a great matter of concern. We had seen
the iron folic tablets distributed in schools and health
centers to increase iron content in children. People
who are anaemic cannot afford high quality iron
containing foods like pulses, legumes etc.…

Nowadays children of our state are prior to disease

because of the lack of essential nutrients. Leafy
vegetables can be suggested as a remedy for this.

Leafy vegetables are rich sources of iron, calcium,

phosphorous, zinc, etc. and thus this topic worth of
research.

“LEAFY VEGETABLES: THE STOREHOUSE OF

MINERALS”

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 AIM
To check the presence and make a comparative
study of various minerals in different leafy
vegetables.

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 MATERIALS REQUIRED
 APPARATUS: Samples of dried leafy vegetables

 SAMPLE 1: Amaranthus blitum

 SAMPLE 2: Spinacia olearacia

 SAMPLE 3: Moringa oleifera

 SAMPLE 4: Colocasia isculenta

 SAMPLE 5: Azardirachta indica

 Beakers

 Crucible

 Tongs

 Tripod stand

 Test tube and glass rod

 Conical flask

 CHEMICALS

 Dil. HCl

 H2O2

 NH4OH

 Ammonium oxalate

 NH4Cl

 H2S

 Ammonium molybdate

 Ammonium thiocyanate

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 THEORY
Dark green leafy vegetables are the excellent
source of vitamins, minerals, carotenoids and act as
anti-oxidants in the body. Compounds present in
dark green leafy vegetables can inhibit the growth of
certain cancer like skin, lungs, stomach and breast
cancer. They remove the free radical before they
become harmful. Leafy vegetables are also good for
eyes and skin. They are essential in diet of every
age groups, especially teenagers, pregnant women
and old people. They help in the regular metabolism
of our body.

Leafy vegetables contain: folate, fiber, carotenoids,

Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium,
sodium, potassium, phosphorous, zinc etc.…

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 PROCEDURE
1) Collected different types of dark green leafy
vegetables and washed it gently with water.
Selected five samples for experiment.

2) Allow them to be dried in sunlight for three days.

3) Transfer the dried samples to mortar separately

and crush them.

4) The crushed samples are burnt in crucible since

the sample become white ash.

5) The ash of each sample is transferred to separate

labeled 100ml beakers, each of which is provided
with a glass rod. The crucible is rinsed with about
2ml water and poured to the respective beakers.

6) 10ml of 4N HCl and 4ml of 100vol. H2O2 are

added in each beaker. H2O2 IS added to oxidise
any ferrous ion to ferric state.

7) The solutions are carefully heated for some time.

The solutions are then cooled and filtered. The
filtrate is received in four conical flasks in equal
volume.

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EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
TEST FOR IRON

The filtrate is taken Appearance of red Presence of iron

in a test tube. Add coloured solution
ammonium
thiocyanate to the
test tube.

CHEMISTRY: Red colour due to the presence of FeSCN2+ ions

Fe3+(Aq)+ SCN-(Aq) Fe(SCN) 2+(Aq)

TEST FOR ZINC

The filtrate is taken Dirty white Presence of zinc

in a test tube and precipitate is
NH4OH and NH4Cl formed
is added.

CHEMISTRY: Na2ZnO2 is precipitated

Zn2++2OH- Zn(OH)2

Zn(OH)2 +2NaOH Na2ZnO2 +2H2O

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EXPERIMENT OBSERVATION INFERENCE
TEST FOR
CALCIUM

Take the filtrate in White precipitate is Presence of calcium

attest tube. To a little formed
of the solution
NH4OH and
ammonium oxalate is
added.

CHEMISTRY: CaC2O4 is precipitated

Ca2++(NH4)C2O4 CaC2O4+2NH4+

TEST FOR
PHOSPHOROUS

Take filtrate in a test Yellow precipitate is Presence of

tube. A little of obtained phosphorous
solution is heated
with conc. HNO3 and
excess of ammonium
molybdate solution is
added.

-CHEMISTRY: Yellow ppt. obtained due to the formation of

Ammonium phosphomolybdate

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 RESULT
DETECTION OF VARIOUS MINERALS

SAMPLES IRON ZINC CALCIUM PHOSPHOROUS

1. Pigweed
   

2. Spinach    

3. Moringa or    
Drumstick
tree

4. Taro    

5. Neem or    
Indian lilac

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 PHOTOGRAPH

Neem Spinach Taro Pigweed Moringa

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 CONCLUSION
Dark green leafy vegetables could prevent
anaemia and many deficiency diseases. So,
we decided to take the topic “Leafy vegetables:
the storehouse of minerals”. The minerals are
very essential in our body. They can control
most of our metabolic activities. Common
people are unaware and majority can’t afford
costly foods. Thus, from our project is
interesting to know leafy vegetables as
essential enough for our body. We were
amazed by this result and they were concluded
that leafy vegetables are essential to cure
various deficiency diseases.

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 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1.Barminas JT, Charles M and Emmanuel D (1998).
Mineral composition of non-conventional leafy
vegetables. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 53,
29 - 36.

2.Bawa S F and Yadav S P (1986). Protein and mineral

contents of green leafy vegetables consumed by Sokoto
population. Journal of the Science of Food and
Agriculture, 37, 504 - 506.

3.Beard J L, Dawwson H and Pinero D J (1996). Iron

metabolism: A comprehensive review. Nutrition Reviews,
54, 295 - 317

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