Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya,

 Malampuzha, Palakkad

INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

2019­2020

CHEMISTRY

STUDY OF OXALATE ION CONTENT IN

GUAVA FRUIT

 SUBMITTED BY
 NAME:HARSHAD.P.H

             CLASS:XII         

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I   would   like   to   express   my   thanks   and   deep

gratitude   to   the   department   of   physics
especially,(pgt   chemistry)   for   guiding   and
providing   the   facilities   to   complete   this
project.   I   express   my   deep   gratitude   to   (lab
assistant) who assisted me during the course of
this project work
CERTIFICATE
This   is   to   certify   that   Master   LEO   SAJU,A
student   of   class   XII   of   the   JAWAHAR
NAVODAYA,MALAMPUZHA,RollNo:
,has completed the required chemistry project
work as per  the  syllabus of Standard XII in
the laboratory of the school. 

YEAR OF COMPLETION :2019­2020

TEACHER’S SIGNATURE:

PRINCIPALS SIGNATURE:

INVIGILATOR'S SIGNATURE:         

REG NO:
 CONTENTS

● Introduction

● Theory 

● Apparatus

● Chemical Equations

● Procedure

● Precautions

● Observations

● Calculations

● Conclusion
 INTRODUCTION
Guava is sweet, juicy and light or dark green

coloured  fruit. It is  cultivated  in all parts  of

India. When ripe it acquires yellow colour and

has penetrating strong scent. 
The fruit is rich in vitamin C and minerals. It

is a rich source of oxalate and its content in the

fruit varies during different stages of ripening.

Guava fruit, usually 4 to 12 cm long, are round

or   oval   depending   on   the   species.The   outer

skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or

soft and sweet.

Varying between species, the skin can be any

thickness, is usually green before maturity, but

becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe.

Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and

typical   fragrance,   similar   to   lemon   rind   but

less sharp. 
Guava   pulp   may   be   sweet   or   sour,   off­white

("white" guavas) to deep pink ("red" guavas),

with the seeds in the central pulp of variable

number   and   hardness,   again   depending   on

species.
 WHAT IS OXALATE?
Oxalate is an organic acid, primarily found in

plants,   animals   and   humans.   It   is   not   an

essential   molecule   and   is   excreted   from   our

body in an unchanged form. Our body either

produces   oxalate   on   its   own   or   it   converts

other   molecules   like   vitamin   C   to   oxalate.

External   sources   like   the   foods   we   eat   also

contribute  to  the, accumulation of  oxalate   in

our body. The oxalate present in the body is

excreted in our urine as a waste. Too much of

oxalate   in   our   urine,   results   in   a   medical

condition   called   as   hyperoxaluria,   commonly

referred   to   as   kidney   stones.   Diet   is   looked

upon   as  a  preventive   measure  in  addition  to

medicines   to   treat   kidney   stones.   Read   more

on what causes kidney stones .

THEORY
Oxalate   ions   are   extracted   from  the   fruit   by

boiling pulp with dil.H2SO4 . Then oxalate ions

are   estimated   volumetrically   by   titrating   the

solution   with   standard   KMnO4

solution.Titration   is   a   common   laboratory

method of quantitative chemical analysis that

is   used   to   determine   the   unknown,

concentration   of   a   known   reactant.   Because

volume   measurements   play   a   key   role   in

titration,   it   is   also   known   as   volumetric

analysis.

A reagent, called the  titrant or  titrator, of a

known concentration (a standard solution) and

volume is used to react with a solution of the

analyte or titrand, whose concentration is not

known.   Using   a   calibrated   burette   or

chemistry pipetting syringe to add the titrant,

it   is   possible   to   determine   the   exact   amount

that has been consumed when the endpoint is

reached. The endpoint is the point at which the
titration   is   complete,   as   determined   by   an

indicator (see below). 

This   is   ideally   the   same   volume   as   the

equivalence   point—the   volume   of   added

titrant at which the number of moles of titrant

is equal to the number of moles of analyte, or

some multiple thereof (as in polyprotic acids).

In the classic strong acid­strong base titration,

the endpoint of a titration is the point at which

the pH of the reactant is just about equal to 7,

and   often   when   the   solution   takes   on   a

persisting   solid   colour   as   in   the   pink   of

phenolphthalein indicator.
 APPARATUS
➔ 100 ml Measuring Flask

➔ Pestle and Mortar

➔ Beaker

➔ Titration Flask

➔ Funnel

➔ Burette

➔ Pipette

➔ Weight­Box

➔ Filter Paper

➔ Guava fruit at different stages of ripening
 CHEMICALS REQUIRED 
➔ Dilute H2SO4 &N/20 KMnO4 solution

CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

MOLECULAR EQUATIONS

2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4               K2SO4+ 2MnSO4 +

2H2O + 4[O]                          

HOOC­COOH.2H2O+[O]    (60­70 C)           2CO2 +
0

2H2O x 5

3KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 +5HOOC­COOH.2H2O
                           K2SO4  + 2MnSO4  + 18H2O +

10CO2

IONIC EQUATIONS

MnO4­ +16H+ + 5e­                            Mn2++4H2O x 2

C2O4                              2CO2+ 2e­  x 5

2MnO4­ + 16H + + 5C2O42­                               2Mn2+

+8H2O + 10CO2

PROCEDURE
1.Weigh 50.0g of fresh guava and crush it to a

fine pulp using pestle­mortar.
2.Transfer the crushed pulp to beaker and add

about 50 ml dil. H2SO4 to it.

3. Boil the contents for about 10 minutes.

4.   Cool   and   filter   the   contents   in   a   100   ml

measuring flask. Make the volume upto 100 ml

by adding distilled water.

5.   Take   20   ml   of   the   solution   from   the

measuring flask into a titration flask and add

30 ml of dilute sulphuric acid to it.

6. Heat the mixture to about 60oC and titrate it

against   N/20   KMnO4  solution   taken   in   a

burette.   The   end   point   is   appearance   of

permanent light­pink colour.
 PRECAUTIONS
1.   KMnO4  solution   is   always   taken   in   the

burette.

2. Avoid the use of burette having a rubber tap

as KMnO4 attacks rubber.

3.   In   order   to   get   some   idea   about   the

temperature of the solution touch the flask to

the back side of your hand. When it becomes

unbearable to touch, the required temperature

is reached.
4.Add about an equal volume of dil. H2SO4  to

the guava extract to be titrated (say a full test

tube) before adding KMnO4 .

5.   Read   the   upper   meniscus   while   taking

burette reading with KMnO4 solution.

6. In case, on addition of KMnO4 a brown ppt.

appears, this shows that either H2SO4  has not

been added or has been added in insufficient

amount.In   such   a   case,   throw   away   the

solution and titrate again.

7.   The   concentration   of   oxalate   ion   obtained

from the filtrate is unfavourably high. If the

titration is carried with concentrated filtrate,
the   scale   of   the   burette   is   out   of   scope   in

regard to the concentration of the oxalate ion.

So   diluting   the   concentrated   filtrate   to   an

appropriate proportion and titrating it with

KMnO4and estimating the end point will make

it   favourable.   After   estimating   the   end   from

the diluted solution, the original concentration

of the concentrated filtrate can be calculated

by multiplying the concentration the estimated

filtrate with the factor by which it was diluted.

OBSERVATIONS
Weight of guava fruit taken each time = 50.0 g

Volume   of   guava   extract   taken   in   each

titration = 20.0 ml

Normality of KMnO4 solution = 1/20 N
Guava extract Initial reading Final reading Volume of the Strength of
From of the burette of the burette N/20 KMnO4 Oxalate
solution (ml)
Fresh Guava

One Day Old
Guava
 CALCULATIONS
For fresh guava,

N1V1             =                 N2V2

              (guava extract)              (KMnO 4 solution)

                                       N1    x   10    =    1/10  x  X

Normality of oxalate, N1 =X/200

Strength of oxalate in fresh guava extract
= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
=X/200x 44 g/litre of the diluted extract

Similarly, calculate the strength of oxalate in 1,

2 and 3 days old guava extract and interpret
the result.

For One day old guava

N1V1 = N2V2
(guava extract) (KMnO4 solution)

N1 x 10 = 1/20 x X
Normality of oxalate, N1 = X/200
Strength of oxalate in one day guava extract
= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
=X/200x 44 g/litre of the diluted extract
Similarly, calculate the strength of oxalate in 1,
2 and 3 days old guava extract and interpret
the result.

CONCLUSION
The concentration of the oxalate ion increases
with increase with ripening.