TEACHERS NOTES Reagents p.

01
Reagents for experiments on Food tests and Enzymes
Unless otherwise stated, 'water' means tapwater.
I% starch solution. 1 g sol!"le star#h powder per 100 #m
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water. Sha%e the powder in a portion o&
the water 'a"o!t 10 #m
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( and heat to "oiling point to o"tain a #lear sol!tion. Add the rest o& the water.
The sol!tion will %eep &or se)eral da*s "!t all the instr!#tions in this series are "ased on the
ass!mption that the sol!tion is &reshl* prepared, i.e. not more than +, ho!rs "e&ore !se. This is
espe#iall* important with e-periments in)ol)ing tests &or red!#ing s!gars.
The star#h &rom some so!r#es is )er* readil* h*drol*sed and ma* gi)e an am"ig!o!s res!lt when
tested with .enedi#t/s sol!tion. 0t is a good idea to #he#% &or this "e&ore em"ar%ing on the e-periments
in)ol)ing star#h sol!tion.
10% glucose. Simpl* dissol)e 10 g gl!#ose per 100 #m
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water. The sol!tion will %eep &or wee%s i& not
#ontaminated with &!ngi.
I% albumen. The properties o& eggwhite &rom &resh eggs seem to depend on the age o& the eggs and
other )aria"les. 0t is re#ommended, there&ore, that al"!men sol!tion or s!spension is made &rom
#ommer#iall* prepared al"!men powder. The al"!men is dissol)ed in #old distilled water 'This ma*
ta%e se)eral min!tes(. Store in a re&rigerator or ma%e !p the sol!tion &resh ea#h time. 1o not stir or
sha%e )igoro!sl* in preparation "e#a!se this denat!res the protein.
Iodine solution. To ma%e 100 #m
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sto#% sol!tion, grind 0 g iodine and 1 g potassi!m iodide in a
mortar while adding distilled water. 2o!r the sol!tion into a meas!ring #*linder and dil!te to 100 #m
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.
1o not store in pol*thene "ottles "e#a!se the sol!tion will "e#ome de#olo!ri3ed.
4or e-periments with en3*mes, dil!te 5 #m
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o& the sto#% sol!tion with l00 #m
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water. The
dil!ted iodine does not %eep well.
enedict!s solution. To ma%e 1 litre, dissol)e 160 g sodi!m #itrate #r*stals and 100 g sodi!m
#ar"onate #r*stals in 700 #m
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warm distilled water. 1issol)e separatel* 16.0 g #opper'00( s!lphate'80(
#r*stals in +00 #m
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#old distilled water. Add the #opper s!lphate sol!tion to the &irst sol!tion with
#onstant stirring.
iuret test. .en#h sodi!m h*dro-ide sol!tion '+9 or 10:( is satis&a#tor* tho!gh the rea#tion will
o##!r with more dil!te sol!tions ' e.g. 0.1 :(. The dil!te #opper'00( s!lphate'80( is a 1: sol!tion in
distilled water.
0"0#$ sodium carbonate solution 1issol)e 5.$ g o& the anh*dro!s salt in 1 litre o& distilled water
0"1$ ethanoic %acetic& acid 2la#e ; #m
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gla#ial ethanoi# a#id in a grad!ated &las% and ma%e !p the
)ol!me to 1 litre with distilled water.
'lcohol '&or dissol)ing &ats(. 2ropan+ol <isopropanol= is pre&erred.
0"1$ hydrochloric acid. 1il!te 10 #m
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#on#. HCl with >>0 #m
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water.
ench hydrochloric acid %($&" 1il!te 100 #m
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#on#. HCl with ,00 #m
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water.
The reagents and enzymes for these experiments may be obtained from Philip Harris
www.philipharris.co.uk . Philip Harris offers an Enzyme set with enzymes and Teachers
!otes