Experiment Tracking Sheet

(Note: You must fill out this sheet for every wet-lab experiment. It will help you track
information for discussion groups, lab reports, quizzes and exams. Do not turn this sheet in. It
is for your notes.)

Topic of this Lab:

Experiment 1
Summary (What are you going to do?): Test whether or not starches are present in certain foods.

Independent Variable: The foods used (sugar water, vegetable oil, liquid starchy foods, etc.)

Dependent Variable (Data): The color that shows up (whether or not there is starch)

Hypothesis:

Liquids

 If Iodine is added to sugar water or vegetable oil, then the solution/mixture will be light
colored (orange).
 If Iodine is added to 2% milk, then the solution/mixture will be dark colored (black or
purple).

Solids

 If Iodine is added to a potato, then it will be dark colored (black or purple).

 If Iodine is added to an onion, then it will be light colored (yellow or orange).
 If Iodine is added to sugar-free bread, then it will be dark colored (black or purple).
 If Iodine is added to animal crackers, then it will be dark colored (black or purple).
 If Iodine is added to marshmallows, then it will be dark colored (black or purple).

Control Variables (What do you need to make sure stays the same?): The amount of iodine used,
the temperature, the type of container (glass for liquid, ceramic for solids).

Positive or Negative Control Experiments (If any, what are they?):

Negative Control Experiment: 7 drops of iodine are added to 1/4 cup of water in a drinking glass.
The iodine solution is orange. This means there is no starch present.

Positive Control Experiment: 1/2 teaspoon of starch is added to 1/4 cup of water in a drinking
glass. The color is cloudy white. After adding 7 drops of iodine, the iodine/starch solution turns
black or dark purple. This means there is starch present.

Data Taken:

Liquids

Sugar Water + 7 Drops of Iodine: The color remained orange.

Vegetable Oil + 7 Drops of Iodine: The color remained orange, and the iodine did not mix with
the oil.
2% Reduced Fat Milk + 7 Drops of Iodine: The color remained yellow/orange.

Solids

Potato + 2 Drops of Iodine: The potato turned black.

Onion + 2 Drops of Iodine: The onion turned orange.
Sugar-Free Bread + 2 Drops of iodine: the bread turned black.
Marshmallow + 2 Drops of Iodine: the marshmallow turned black.
Animal Cracker + 2 Drops of Iodine: The Animal Cracker turned black.

Conclusions (Was your hypothesis correct? What does this demonstrate about the Topic from
above?):

Liquid

Neither sugar water, vegetable oil, nor milk contain starch. My hypotheses regarding the sugar
water and the vegetable oil were correct, however, my hypothesis regarding the 2% milk was
incorrect – it did not contain any starch.

Solid

Out of the 5 foods, all of them contained starch EXCEPT for the onion. My hypotheses regarding
the unknown foods were correct.
Experiment 2
Summary (What are you going to do?): Test whether or not emulsifiers are present in food.

Independent Variable: Type of food (butter, egg yolk, etc).

Dependent Variable (Data): presence of floating oil/mixing of the food dye.

Hypothesis:

 If butter is mixed with hot water and food coloring, the fats will not stay mixed with the
water (will float to the top).
 If an egg yolk is mixed with hot water and food coloring, the fats will not stay mixed
with the water (will float to the top).
 If cheddar cheese is mixed with hot water and food coloring, the fats will stay mixed with
the water (will not float to the top).
 If peanut butter is mixed with hot water and food coloring, the fats will not stay mixed
with the water (will float to the top).
 If mayonnaise is mixed with hot water and food coloring, the fats will stay mixed with
the water (will not float to the top).

Control Variables (What do you need to make sure stays the same?): Temperature of water,
amount of water and food coloring, containers (glass).

Positive or Negative Control Experiments (If any, what are they?):

Negative Control Experiment: 1 cup of hot water is added to a glass. A tablespoon of butter (is
added to the hot water and stirred for 30 seconds, then sat for 5 minutes. The bubbles/layer of oil
floats on top of the water. 1 drop of blue food coloring is added and mixed. The top layer does
not absorb the dye. The floating oil that excludes the dye means there is no emulsifier present.

Positive Control Experiment: An egg yolk is added to1 cup of hot water and stirred for 30
seconds, then sat for 5 minutes. The egg yolk (which is 33% fat) stays mixed with the water. 1
drop of blue food coloring is added and mixed. The dye mixes throughout
the glass. The lack of floating oil and the complete mixing of the dye means there is emulsifier
present.

Data Taken:
1 TBSP Butter + 1 Cup Hot water + 1 drop blue food coloring: floating oil and dye didn’t mix
throughout. No emulsifier present.

1 egg yolk + 1 Cup Hot water + 1 drop blue food coloring: no floating oil and dye mixed
throughout. Emulsifier present.

1 TBSP Peanut Butter + Hot water + 1 drop blue food coloring: very faint, but there was
floating oil and dye didn’t mix throughout. No emulsifier present.

1 TBSP Cheddar Cheese + Hot water + 1 drop blue food coloring: clear line of floating oil and
dye didn’t mix throughout. No emulsifier present.

1 TBSP Mayonnaise + Hot water + 1 drop blue food coloring: no floating oil and dye mixed
throughout. Emulsifier present.

Conclusions (Was your hypothesis correct? What does this demonstrate about the Topic from
above?):

My hypotheses about peanut butter and the mayonnaise were correct, however, my hypothesis
about the cheddar cheese was incorrect.

Cheddar cheese and Peanut Butter both had no emulsifiers present, but
Mayonnaise had emulsifiers present.