Consumer Chemistry: Science in the Kitchen

Grades 6-12.

This comprehensive kit incorporates a variety of scientific techniques all themed around common kitchen materials. Students will perform chromatography on commercial food colors, use chemical tests to identify an unknown cooking ingredient, examine the protein digesting ability of a common meat tenderizing enzyme, use titration to quantify vitamin C levels and then test an unknown juice or soda (not provided), and lastly examine some of the differences and similarities in the materials used to clean up (soap, hand dishwashing detergent, and machine dishwashing detergent). Contains enough materials for fifteen groups.

Materials include:

• Red, blue, green, and yellow food coloring, 0.50 ml each
• Baking powder, baking soda, corn starch, and unknown, 25 g each
• 30 ml of 5% acetic acid solution
• 30 ml iodine solution
• 5 g papain
• 15 g gelatin
• One capsule of ascorbic acid
• Three 30 ml bottles of iodine potassium iodide
• 30 ml of starch indicator solution
• 100 ml each of 5% hand detergent, machine detergent, and 5% liquid soap
• 30 ml of 5% calcium chloride solution
• 50 universal indicator strips
• 15 graduated plastic pipettes
• 90 disposable medicine cups
• 75 polystyrene test tubes
• Four capillary tubes
• 15 chromatography sheets
• 15 spot plates
• One box of toothpicks