Pigment Chromatography Lab

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-t0sGyjfto glucose chlorophyll Diagram photosynthesis on your paper. glucose chlorophyll http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-t0sGyjfto

Energy for Life Plants provide food for the entire planet. They provide 90% of Earth’s oxygen. The filter out carbon dioxide which is a greenhouse gas. Why is it important to save trees?

Plant leaves contain different color pigments that give the leaf color Plant leaves contain different color pigments that give the leaf color. Plant pigments come in many different colors but we are the most familiar with chlorophyll because of its important job in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is the green pigment that absorbs energy from the sun to power photosynthesis. As sunlight hits the leaves of the plant, yellow and green light are reflected while red and blue light are absorbed by chlorophyll. The reflected yellow and green light makes the leaves appear green to our eyes.

Pigments pigment – a substance that gives something color. vocabulary word! pigment – a substance that gives something color.

What makes a plant green? chlorophyll – a green pigment that allows some organisms to perform photosynthesis. Plants can produce more chlorophyll when they get more sunlight. Photosynthesis only occurs in plant cells that have chloroplasts. vocabulary word!

All plants with green areas can produce food through photosynthesis. Do you think anything else can use photosynthesis? photosynthetic bacteria photosynthetic plankton algae

Write down the three common plant pigments and what color each one is. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH-AJDqsSII Write down the three common plant pigments and what color each one is.

This is what your notes should look like so far:

We will create a lab report on your paper for today. Write “observation:” then answer this question - What color(s) can you see on the leaf? Make sure you write a complete sentence.

What question could you ask about the colors in this leaf? Write the word “question:” Does the spinach leaf have more than one color pigment?

What do you think the final result of the experiment will be? Write the word “hypothesis:” Write down your prediction of what will happen during the experiment. It should be a statement and a complete sentence.

Materials 1 piece of chromatography paper leaf “juice” 90% rubbing alcohol 1 beaker 1 pencil

Procedure 1. Swirl the beaker around to mix the alcohol and chlorophyll

Using the pencil as a hanger, fold the paper strip over so that the bottom of the strip touches the bottom of the beaker.

5. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. 6. Then remove and allow to dry.

Write down the results of the experiment. Write the word “data:” Write down what you see on your chromatography paper. Describe it in as much detail as you can.

Write down the your conclusion. Write the word “conclusion:” Write down a reply to your hypothesis. Did you see more than one color, what colors do you see?

Complete the worksheet for the lab Complete the worksheet for the lab. You may work with other students at your table and use the internet to research the extension questions.