CHEMISTRY

PROJECT
CONTENT OF ASCORBIC
ACID IN CITRUS FRUITS

By:
Leo Thomas Dominic
XII-K
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INDEX:

S.no. Topic Page no.

1. Inspiration for doing the project 2
2. Aim 2
3. Theory 2
4. Materials required 2
5. Procedure 3
6. Observations 4–5
7. Calculations 6 - 11
8. Result 11
9. Conclusion 11
10. Precautions 11

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INSPIRATION FOR DOING THE PROJECT:
Due to deficiency of vitamin C, disease called scurvy could affect the
body. Therefore, the need to find out which fruit contains maximum
percentage of ascorbic acid, so that it can be suitably used for the treatment
of scurvy.

EXPERIMENT
AIM:
To study and calculate the content of ascorbic acid in different citrus
fruits under different conditions.
THEORY:
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a vitamin found in
various foods and sold as dietary supplement. It is used to prevent and treat
scurvy. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and
the enzymatic production of certain neurotransmitters. It is required for the
functioning of several enzymes and is important for immune system
function. It also functions as an antioxidant.

(Structure of ascorbic acid/ vitamin C)

MATERIALS REQUIRED:
water, spirit, starch powder, iodine (solid), potassium iodide (solid),
lemon juice, orange juice, malta juice, mausami juice, burette, pipette, conical
flask, Bunsen burner, beaker, muslin cloth.

(Lemon juice) (Mausami juice) (Orange juice)

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 (Malta juice) (Muslin cloth)

PROCEDURE:
1. Take 0.254g of solid iodine and pour in a clean dry beaker. Add 4g of solid
potassium iodide. Then add the distilled water and dissolve iodine and
potassium iodide in it. Transfer this solution to clean dry 100ml volumetric
flask and add distilled water so that total volume is 100ml. this solution has
a molarity of 0.01M.

(Iodine solution)
2. Now a starch solution is prepared by adding a spatula of starch to the 100ml
of water and subsequently boiling it.

(Starch solution)
3. The fruit juices are extracted and filtered using a muslin cloth.
4. The iodine solution of 0.01M is taken in a burette and 5ml of filtered juice is
pipetted out in conical flask. To the juice 1ml of starch is added.
5. The solution of juice is titrated against iodine solution. The process is
stopped at the point the colour of the solution in the conical flask changes
from fruit juice to violet colour.

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 (Colour change observed)
6. Three concordant readings are taken.

OBSERVATIONS:
LEMON
Volume of lemon used 5ml each time.
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.2ml 1.8ml
2. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml
3. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml

BOILED LEMON
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.6ml 1.4ml
2. 10ml 8.7ml 1.3ml
3. 10ml 8.7ml 1.4ml

ORANGE
Volume of orange used 5ml each time.
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.2ml 1.8ml
2. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml
3. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml

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 BOILED ORANGE
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.6ml 1.4ml
2. 10ml 8.7ml 1.3ml
3. 10ml 8.7ml 1.4ml

MALTA
Volume of malta used 5ml each time.
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.2ml 1.8ml
2. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml
3. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml

BOILED MALTA
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.6ml 1.4ml
2. 10ml 8.7ml 1.3ml
3. 10ml 8.7ml 1.4ml

MAUSAMI
Volume of mausami used 5ml each time.
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.2ml 1.8ml
2. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml
3. 10ml 8.3ml 1.7ml

BOILED MAUSAMI
S.no. Initial reading in burette Final reading in Volume of solution
burette used
1. 10ml 8.6ml 1.4ml
2. 10ml 8.7ml 1.3ml
3. 10ml 8.7ml 1.4ml

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CALCULATIONS:
Preparation of 100ml of iodine solution.
Quantity of solid iodine taken= 0.254g
Gram molecular weight of iodine= 254g
The volume of solution taken = 100ml
Hence 100ml of solution contained 0.001 moles of iodine and 4g od solid
potassium iodide.
Molarity= no. of moles of iodine in 100ml of solution of iodine
0.254×1000
= = 0.01 M
254×100

CALCULATION OF PERCENTAGE OF ASCORBIC ACID IN:

1. Lemon:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.7ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of lemon juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of lemon juice, M2=0.0034 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of lemon juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0034)
=
1000

= 2.9 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in lemon juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.9
= × 100
5

= 58 %

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2. Boiled Lemon:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.3ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of boiled lemon juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of boiled lemon juice, M2= 0.0026 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of boiled lemon juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0026)
=
1000

= 2.28 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in boiled lemon juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.28
= × 100
5

= 45.6 %

3. Orange:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.7ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of orange juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of orange juice, M2= 0.0034 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of orange juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0034)
=
1000

= 2.9 mg

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 Percentage of ascorbic acid in orange juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.9
= × 100
5

= 58 %

4. Boiled Orange:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.3ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of boiled orange juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of boiled orange juice, M2= 0.0026 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of boiled orange juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0026)
=
1000

= 2.28 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in boiled orange juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.28
= × 100
5

= 45.6 %

5. Malta:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.7ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) =0.01M
Volume of malta juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2

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 ∴ Molarity of malta juice, M2= 0.0034 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of malta juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑎 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0034)
=
1000

= 2.9 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in malta juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.9
= × 100
5

= 58 %

5. Boiled Malta:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.3ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of boiled malta juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of boiled malta juice, M2= 0.0026 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of boiled malta juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑡𝑎 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0026)
=
1000

= 2.28 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in boiled malta juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.28
= × 100
5

= 45.6 %

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6. Mausami:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.7ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of mausami juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of mausami juice, M2= 0.0034 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of mausami juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑖 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0034)
=
1000

= 2.9 mg
Percentage of ascorbic acid in mausami juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.9
= × 100
5

= 58 %

6. Boiled Mausami:
Volume of iodine solution used (V1) = 1.3ml
Molarity of iodine solution used (M1) = 0.01 M
Volume of boiled mausami juice used (V2) = 5ml
V1 M1= V2M2
∴ Molarity of boiled mausami juice, M2= 0.0026 M
Weight of ascorbic acid present in 5ml of boiled mausami juice (W)
(5×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐴×𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑖 𝑗𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑒)
=
1000
(5×176.12×0.0026)
=
1000

= 2.28 mg

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 Percentage of ascorbic acid in boiled mausami juice
𝑤
= × 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
2.28
= × 100
5

= 45.6 %

RESULT:
The percentage of ascorbic acid in different citrus fruits under different
condition were found to be:

S. no. Fruits Percentage

1. Lemon 58 %
2. Boiled lemon 45.6 %
3. Orange 58 %
4. Boiled orange 45.6 %
5. Malta 58 %
6. Boiled malta 45.6 %
7. Mausami 58 %
8. Boiled mausami 45.6 %

CONCLUSION:
1. The percentage of ascorbic acid was found to be less in boiled juices in
corresponding to unboiled fruit juices because ascorbic acid content
in unboiled fruit juices gets itself oxidized on boiling the fruit juice.
2. The actual ascorbic acid content can be much more in fruits juices of
lemon, orange, malta and mausami. Here starch solution was added to
the fruit juices, before doing titration due to which some of the fruit
content reacted with starch and a permanent complex was formed
which could not be oxidised.

PRECAUTIONS:
1. The apparatus should be thoroughly cleaned before starting the
experiment.
2. The solutions should be well shaken before using them.

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