Activity 1

Biochemistry of non- living materials

Materials: Plastic Vials, Pipette, Water, Vinegar, Sand, Sugar, Chalk

Discover how three non-living things behave in water and vinegar, sand, sugar and chalk.

Write down what you think will happen.

1. Q: if I put sand and water together, then what will happen?
A: There will be a chemical reaction between sand and water.
2. Q: if I put sand and vinegar together, then what will happen?
A: There will be a chemical reaction between sand and vinegar.
3. Q: if I put sugar and water together, then what will happen?
A: There will be a chemical reaction between sugar and water.
4. Q: if I put sugar and vinegar together, then what will happen
A: There will be a chemical reaction between sugar and water.
5. Q: if I put chalk and water together, then what will happen?
A: There will be a chemical reaction between chalk and water.
6. Q: if I put chalk and vinegar together, then what will happen?
A: There will be a chemical reaction between chalk and water.

Experiment Procedure
Using your pipette, pour three pipettes full of water into the vial with sand, sugar and chalk.
Now, continue and combine the following and record your observation:
Do the same with the next vials but this time use vinegar as a solvent.

1. Water and Sand

2. Vinegar and Sand
3. Water and Sugar
4. Vinegar and Sugar
5. Water and Chalk
6. Vinegar and Chalk
RESULTS

Did the color Change? Did you observe a Was anything left
chemical reaction? over?
Sand and Water No None Yes
Sand and Vinegar Yes (slight) Yes Yes
Sugar and Water Yes None None
Sugar and Vinegar Yes Yes None
Chalk and Water Yes None Yes
Chalk and Vinegar Yes None Yes

CONCLUSION
As expected, sand and water will not interact since sand is insoluble in water. All sand
placed in water remained at the bottom of the container. Sand is silicon dioxide which is
insoluble in water.
The beach sand used is composed of organic materials mixed with inorganic silicon
dioxide (sand). Acetic acid (vinegar) interacts with the organic portion of the sand causing the
change in color while the inorganic silicon dioxide remained insoluble at the bottom of the
container.
The change in color when sugar is dissolved in water is due solely to the color of the
sugar (brown) the entire sugar was dissolved in water.
Sugar interacts with vinegar since vinegar is diluted acetic acid which reacts with the
hydroxyl groups of the sugar. The observed change in color is due solely to the brown color of
the sugar. All sugar placed in vinegar was dissolved.
Colored chalk mixed with water gave a change in color due to the change in refraction of
suspended chalk particles in water. There is no observed chemical reaction and the chalk powder
did not dissolve in water and remained at the bottom of the container.
Colored chalk mixed with vinegar yielded a color change due to the change in refraction
of suspended chalk particles in vinegar. There is no observed chemical reaction and the chalk
powder did not dissolve in vinegar and remained at the bottom of the container. Since chalk is
actually calcium carbonate , any reaction between chalk and vinegar
will be slow since the acetic acid used is diluted. Also, chalk is only very slightly soluble is water
and most of the chalk remained at the bottom of the container.