EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide

Vitamin C
Visitors use iodine to compare the reactivity of two starch solutions —
one with vitamin C added, one without vitamin C.

OBJECTIVES: Visitors learn what an antioxidant is and how it behaves. They also
learn how to test for the presence of vitamin C.
.

SCIENCE TOPICS PROCESS SKILLS VOCABULARY

Antioxidants Observing Molecule

Chemical Reactions Measuring Anti-oxidant
Oxidation Investigating
Comparing

UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY U8.1

EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide

Vitamin C
Procedure:
1. Always wear safety goggles.
2. Rinse the two flasks and the graduated cylinder in the
sink.
3. Use the graduated cylinder to measure 10 ml of
starch solution and add it to Flask 1.
4. Measure 10 ml of starch solution again, and add it to
flask 2.
5. Add 10 drops of vitamin C solution to Flask 2
only.
6. Add one drop of iodine solution to Flask 1.
Swirl the flask to mix the solution.
What happens?
7. Count each drop as you continue adding drops of
iodine to Flask 1. Swirl the flask after each drop
until the solution turns dark blue.
How many drops did you need to add
to make the solution turn blue?
8. Repeat step 5, adding iodine to Flask 2.
How many drops did you need to turn the solution
in Flask 2 dark blue?
9. Empty and rinse the flasks and graduated cylinders in
the sink.
U8.2 UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY
EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
 EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide

What is vitamin C?
How does it work?

A Closer Look
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid (C6H8O6), is an antioxidant.
Antioxidants are very reactive molecules that are broken down
by oxygen. Antioxidants, like vitamin C, act as a first target of
reactive molecules like oxygen or iodine. This protects other
molecules critical to our health.
In this experiment, the iodine (I2) drops in Flask 1 react quickly
with the starch to form a blue complex. In Flask 2, the vitamin
C
prevents the iodine from reacting with the
starch. Once all of the vitamin C has reacted,
any additional iodine reacts with the starch to
form the blue complex. Vitamin C does this in
our bodies, too. It protects us by reacting with
toxic compounds before they can harm us
Vitamin C is found in many fruits and vegetables. It is
oxidized by exposure to air, heat, and light. Oxidation
destroys the function of vitamin C. Thus, fresh, uncooked
fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C.
MATERIALS

UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY U8.3

EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide

 (with amounts to have on hand)

 Two 100-ml Erlenmeyer flasks
 One 100 ml dropper bottle
 One 10-ml graduated cylinder
 One 250-ml squeeze bottles (see-through)
 One 30-ml dropper bottle
 One 500-ml brown (opaque) plastic bottle
 Vitamin C crystals (keep 50 g on hand)
 Soluble starch (soluble potato powder) (keep 100 g on hand)
 Povidone iodine (keep 250 ml on hand)
 One 1000-ml storage bottle

Setup/Takedown Procedures

ORIGINAL SETUP

 Color code and label the two 100-ml Erlenmeyer flasks “Flask 2”
(white) and “Flask 1” (white).
 Label the 10-ml line on the 10-ml graduated cylinder
 Label the 100-ml dropper bottle “vitamin C” (red)
 Color code and label one 250-ml squeeze bottle “Starch
Solution” (blue).
 Label the 30-ml dropper bottle “Iodine.”

WEEKLY SETUP

 Prepare 0.3% starch solution (see Materials Prep).

 Prepare 0.2% stock vitamin C solution (see Materials Prep)

 Check to see that the experiment works. (When 10 drops of vitamin C

solution is added to 10 ml of starch solution, ~5 drops of iodine should
be used to make the solution blue. If 15-20 drops of iodine are
required to turn the starch/vitamin C solution blue, the solution has too
much vitamin C; dilute it with water. If less than 5 cause it to turn blue,
dilute the iodine solution slightly.)

U8.4 UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY

EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide
 Fill the squeeze bottles and dropper bottle with the appropriate
solutions. Store the vitamin C solutions IN THE REFRIGERATOR

DAILY SETUP

 Set out the visitor instructions in a Plexiglas holder.

 Get the squeeze bottle of cold 0.2% vitamin C solution from the
refrigerator.
 On a tray lined with a white mat, set out the following:
 Two labeled flasks
 One labeled graduated cylinder
 One small, labeled iodine dropper bottle
 One labeled squeeze bottle.
 One small labeled vitamin c dropper bottle
 Check to see that the experiment works. (When 10 drops of vitamin C
solution is added to 10 ml of starch solution, ~5 drops of iodine should
be used to make the solution blue. If 15-20 drops of iodine are
required to turn the starch/vitamin C solution blue, the solution has too
much vitamin C; dilute it with water. If less than 5 cause it to turn blue,
dilute the iodine solution slightly.)
 Check to see whether there is plenty of stock 0.2% vitamin C solution and
0.3% starch solution under the counter. Prepare more of each solution as
needed (see Materials Prep).

DAILY TAKEDOWN

 Store the bottles tightly capped in an upright position.

 Clean the glassware and return all equipment and instructions to the tub
under the counter.
 Return the vitamin C solution TO THE REFRIGERATOR.

WEEKLY TAKEDOWN

 Dispose of any leftover starch and vitamin C solutions, including

those in the refrigerator.

 Empty and clean the 250-ml squeeze bottle.

 Clean all of the glassware and bottles.
UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY U8.5
EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide

 Clean and return the mat to storage.

 Clean the tray and leave it at the station.

RUNNING SUGGESTIONS

 Check the squeeze bottles periodically and refill them as

needed (the starch solution will be used up rather quickly).
 If the cold vitamin C solution requires 15-20 drops of iodine to
turn blue, the solution has too much vitamin C, dilute it with cold
water.
 If the cold vitamin C solution turns too quickly, you may need to
prepare fresh vitamin C solution (see Materials Prep).

EXTENSIONS
You can check the vitamin C content of various fruit juices.
Try the experiment with old vitamin C solution or vitamin C
solution exposed to heat (on the hot plate for 15 minutes), light,
or air. It should take fewer drops of iodine to create the blue
starch complex

Safety & Disposal

MATERIALS PREP

To prepare 0.2% stock vitamin C solution:

 Weigh 2 g vitamin C crystals (from the organic cabinet).
 Add 1000 ml H2O to the vitamin C crystals.
 Place the solution in a labeled/dated brown (opaque) bottle.
 Store the solution in the REFRIGERATOR.

To prepare 0.3% starch solution:

 Boil 900 ml dH2O (deionized water).
 Weigh 3.0 g soluble starch.
 Mix the starch with 10 ml of dH2O to form a paste.
 Add the paste to the 900 ml of boiling water.
 Heat and stir the solution until it becomes clear.

U8.6 UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY

EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI
EXPERIMENT: Vitamin C Operating Guide
 Cool the solution.
 Add dH2O to bring the total volume to 1000 ml.
 Place the solution in a labeled/dated, 1000-ml storage bottle.

UNIT 8 EVERYDAY CHEMISTRY U8.7

EXPERIENCING CHEMISTRY ©2006 OMSI