apple browning experiment application

Apple Science Experiment: Prevent Browning

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My kids love eating apples, but they really don’t love it when they turn brown. We decided to try a fun apple science experiment so they could learn what keeps apples from browning. (See 200+ more STEM projects for kids)

We first talked about why apple brown and discussed the comparison with rusting (oxidation). It is a chemical reaction with the oxygen and an enzyme in the apples. This helped the kids understand why it happened.

How to Do the Apple Experiment:

To do this apple science experiment, you’ll just need a few items: an apple, a knife, a few bowls, and various edible liquids.

I already knew the answer to this apple oxidation experiment, but I didn’t want to let my kids know about it. I let them choose various substances and liquids from the kitchen to soak the apples in. I did make a suggestion of lemon juice, but let them choose the other things.

The kids chose vinegar, milk and baking soda . Another good one to try is salt water. Just to give them a comparison, I left one with nothing  on it (the control variable).  You could also use plain water as the variable.

We sliced the apples and put the slices into each substance to soak. Label them so you remember which one is which. We left the apple slices soaking for about an hour.

Let kids make their own hypothesis about which one will work best.  They were excited to see the results.  Their guesses were not correct…  Check out my Scientific Method printables to help you teach this!

While some liquids might work better than others, taste is important, as well. If you soaked apples in salt water, they would not taste nearly as good!

How to Keep Apples from Turning Brown

I then explained to them that lemon juice helps keep the apple from browning, because it is full of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and it has a low pH level.  Ascorbic acid works because oxygen will react with it before it will react with the enzymes in the apple.  Once the ascorbic acid gets used up, the oxygen will start reacting with the enzymes in the apple  (polyphenol oxidase) and browning will occur.  Did you know why apples turn brown?

DOWNLOAD the free printable apple browning experiment worksheet now!

Want more simple science experiments? Check out this big list of Simple Science Experiments for Kids !

Also, a little more on Oxidation with this Rust Experiment !

A Few More Apple Learning Ideas:

A magnetic science activity to go along with the book 10 Apples Up on Top

Ways to Play with an Apple Carton

Pi Day with Apple Pie

All About Apples- Great list of apple learning and play ideas!

Extend the Learning with Some Apple Books:

How do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

Apples by Gail Gibbons

The Season’s of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons

Apples, Apples Everywhere by Robin Koontz

Apple Farmer Annie by Monica Wellington

Apples, Apples, Apples by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Save Save Save Save Save Save

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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18 comments.

Always looking for more fun science experiments! Pinning this one!

I wonder what the variables are

the dependant variable is how much the apples browned and the independent variable is the liquid used

I hear you but then i still have a question, if you were to record in on a table or a graph for that matter, how would you measure how much it has browned? By sized? Because i am stuck now

This version of the experiment seems to generate a simple yes or no result as opposed to a measurable DV. If you need to quantify the dependent variable, perhaps try identifying quadrants on each apple slice and discussing the amount of browning as percentages? Or… maybe counting spots? I wonder if it might even be fruitful (pun intended) to look at the time it takes each liquid of independent variable to brown. No browning would be ‘n/a.’ You might even compare acidic (vinegar) vs. alkaline (baking soda).

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Great science experiment! Can’t wait to try it with my kids.

This is such a great idea! My children LoVe apples. Doing an experiment with them makes total sense! Thanks for sharing 😉

Thanks! Glad you like it! 🙂

A tiny bit of honey also prevents browning. Like a drizzle and then shake to coat. Doesn’t work as long as lemon juice but also isn’t as tart.

use salt water also can prevent apple becoming browning!

What is the Variables like control, independent, and dependent, causes of this project.

Definitely going to be doing this for our picnic theme! Great idea

I use apple juice to keep apple slices from turning brown. It will even reverse light browning.

I will be doing this experiment with my daughter soon. I have always soaked apples in pineapple juice to prevent browning, and look forward to seeing how it compares to lemon juice!

also you could use a temporary vacuum chamber by taking a plastic bag and putting the apple inside of it . put the bag in to a bucket of water with the bag partially opened. the water pressure on the bag will force the air out of the bag and temporarily vacuum seal the bag. hope this helps 🙂

can you please provide a list of procedures

What common core standard would go with this science experiment?

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Apple Oxidation Experiment

Introduction: Apple Oxidation Experiment

In case the video does not load, in order to watch paste the following link into your web browser: https://youtu.be/ldLxmkIWWZs

Step 1: Problem or Purpose

A problem that many people are facing is that their apples are browning quickly once they slice them into different slices and our experiment will conclude the best drink that keeps your apple slices fresh for the longest period.

What is the effect of different drinks on a slice of an apple?

Step 2: Hypothesis

If we add a slice of an apple in different drinks, the time taken for this slice to change color into brown will be different, because apples react differently with different types of drinks whether it was an acidic drink or a basic drink.

Step 3: Variables

Independent: the drinks we will add the apple slices into

Dependent: time taken for the slice to turn brown

Controlled: The freshness of each apple before we start the experiment, the type of apple (red apple), the temperature of the drinks and apples, amount of time to check on the apple slices.

Step 4: Background Research

What causes the apple to start bruising or turn brown is when it is exposed to oxygen, like when it is cut into slices, which causes apple oxidation. Some of the different materials and fluids used to prevent the browning of an apple are lemon juice, water, vinegar, and many more acidic drinks.

Step 5: Materials

1.4 containers

2.Diet 7up, Lemon juice, Low-fat Milk, Coke (1/4 cup each)

3.4 slices of apples

4.Camera/phone

6.Knife to cut apple

7.Measuring cup

Step 6: Procedure

1.Measure the drinks and pour about ¼ of the drinks into each container

2.Slice the apple

3.Place each slice of the apple into the container filled with the drink

4.Set a timer for 2 hours

5.Take notes of the apple with a picture of the slice every 30 minutes

6.After 2 hours have passed, take notes of the apple slice

7.Taste the apple slice to see which one changed the most taste and smell-wise.

8.Fill in the table with the left information and results

Step 7: Data

Step 8: Data 2

Step 9: Graph

Step 10: Data Analysis

From our experiment, we found out that different drinks will cause each apple slice to take a different amount of time to rot, and change color.

After 30 minutes, the apple slice in the diet 7up started turning a bit yellow (Brown Intensity: 20%), tastes like sweet lemon, smells like an apple with a bit of lemon. The apple slice in the lemon juice still looks the same (a white pale color) (Brown Intensity: 10%), tastes like a normal apple, smells like a normal apple. The apple slice in the milk was completely pale white (Brown Intensity: 10%), It tasted like an apple and there was no taste or smell of milk. The apple in the coke started turning brown (Brown Intensity: 30%), it did not taste like an apple but a strong flavor of coke, it smelled like coke and you can hardly smell the apple.

After 60 minutes, the apple slice in the diet 7up became a little more beige looking, (Brown Intensity: 40%), tastes like sweet lemon with a bit of fizz coming from the carbonated soft drink, smells more like a sweet lemon. The apple slice in the lemon juice has barely turned yellow (Brown Intensity: 20%), smells a little bit like lemon, has a hint of sourness. The apple slice in the milk was still completely white (Brown Intensity: 10%), tasted a bit like milk but mostly like an apple, you can hardly smell the milk. For the apple in the coke, it started turning brown (Brown Intensity: 50%), the apple took the taste of the coke and the taste got stronger, it started to smell like coke.

After 90 minutes, the apple slice in the diet 7up started turning a little brown (Brown Intensity: 43%), tastes very soft, also like lemonade with apple, smells a little like 7up and lemons. The apple slice in the lemon juice has started turning yellow (Brown Intensity: 35%), tastes very sour and lemony, smells a lot more like a lemon. The apple in the milk, was still white (Brown Intensity: 10%), the slice slightly tasted like milk but more like apples, it smelled like a bit of milk with apple juice. The apple in the coke’s color was dark from the amount of coke it absorbed (Brown Intensity: 70%), the taste of the coke is extremely clear and you can barely taste the apple, it smelled like coke and a rotten apple.

After 120 minutes, the apple slice in the diet 7up is a light brown (Brown Intensity: 45%), the apple slice is very soft and sweet and took the taste of the diet 7up, smells a lot like 7up and lemons. The apple slice in the lemon juice apple is still the same shade of yellow and has not darkened much (Brown Intensity: 40%), tastes a lot sourer, smells like lemons or lemon juice. The apple slice in the milk’s color was white and did not change at all (Brown Intensity: 10%), it tasted just like an apple with a little stronger taste of milk, it smelled like an apple mixed with milk.

Step 11: Data Analyisis 2

A few mistakes someone can make while conducting this experiment are: using a rotten apple while starting this experiment, using a different colored apple for every drink (when the controlled variable is using the same type of apple), placing the apple and its drink in different weather climates, not putting enough of the drink so it can cover the apple to be able to see some results, etc.

A few ways I can make my experiment better: use apples grown in different locations and places, use red and green apples to see the difference between them, keeping the apple slice in the drink in the fridge or at a hotter temperature to see the difference, etc.

1. This experiment is a solution to a big problem many people face, which is having their apples rot quickly.

2. This experiment was a successful experiment since we ended up with suitable results that can help others.

3. This experiment was done in real life and not digitally so we are sure that the results we ended up with are realistic and true.

Weaknesses:

1. A weakness is that the apples may have shown results if we kept them in the drinks for a longer amount of time.

2. The results may not be as accurate, because there are two different experiments placed in different cities, there is a chance that the weather and climate have an effect on the results of each experiment.

3. Putting an apple slice in a liquid may not be the best solution to keep your apples the freshest since it may not be suitable for kids in school or people transporting from a place to another, since they may not have all the materials and supplies needed.

Step 12: Conclusion

In our experiment, we tested the effect of different drinks on the rotting of an apple. Our hypothesis was correct since the apples were differently affected by the drink, they were put in. Our variables were: Independent, the type of drink, Dependent: the freshness of an apple. Controlled: the type of apple (red apple), the freshness of the apple when we began the experiment, the temperature of the experiment (room temperature). In conclusion, the lemon and the milk did the best job in this case, however, the apple slice that was put in the lemon eventually tasted and smelled only like a lemon. Therefore, milk is our suggested drink for people to use in order to keep the apples fresh since it made the apple stay the freshest and smelled and tasted more like an apple whereas the apple slices in the other drinks took the taste of the drinks and rotted quicker. In addition, milk will preserve the apple from getting brown because it's a basic liquid.

Step 13: Application

Our experiment is important because there are many people who enjoy only a piece of their apple but do not want to complete the whole thing. But the only problem is that when oxygen meets the apple, the apple starts to brown. And we were curious to find a way to avoid this from happening. So, we conducted an experiment, to find out which drink does the best job to keep the apple slice the freshest. Yes, this experiment can be applied with practice to do it correctly without making any mistakes in order to keep your apple slices fresh. After this experiment, we learned that milk and acidic drinks are the best drinks to keep your apple from browning. In addition, milk is the least drink that the apple took the drinks taste and smell.

Step 14: Evaluation

• Dima: during this project, I have represented a few of the ATL skills. Some are; researching skills, communication skills, thinking skills, self-management skills. I have shown research skills because once we started using different applications such as Instructables, I researched and learned how to properly use it to make sure I submit my assignments properly, as well as, at the beginning of the project we were asked to research our problem, and there I have collected a lot of information online. I have shown communication skills , because, throughout my work in a group, I made sure to stay in contact with my group members to see if I should help them with anything, also to get to know their ideas and opinions about what we are doing. I have also shown thinking skills because in the science fair I thought creatively about unique and different ways to complete my tasks. In addition, when I faced a problem I made sure to think about how I am going to solve it. Lastly, I have shown self-management skills since I submit all my tasks on time and I complete them correctly and the way I was asked to. I depended on myself and I was responsible throughout this project.

Allya: research skills, I feel like we used research skills because we researched about our experiment at the beginning to know what the experiment is about. Social skills, I feel like we used social skills because I and my teammates were communicating together during school hours and after school. Self-management, there was some work that I had to do individually so I depended on myself and I did the work myself me and my group collaborated together. Thinking skills, my group and I thought creatively while making the experiment during the hypothesis and the rest of the steps.

Sadeem: Social skills, I used my social skills to communicate with my group members. Self Management Skills, I used my time wisely and tried to stay free in case the group members needed me. Thinking skills, I used thinking skills to find some solutions to our problems and to find answers to my questions. Research skills, I researched why lemon juice made the apple turn out how it is, and in the background research step, I also used my researching skills in order to find answers to my questions.

Step 15: Resources

Source #1: How to keep apples from Browning? Here are 6 tricks we love. (2020, June 12). Retrieved from https://www.purewow.com/food/how-to-keep-apples-f...

Source #2: Why do apples turn brown? (2021, January 22). Retrieved from https://miniyummers.com/why-do-apples-turn-brown/...

Source #3: Prakash, S. (2019, September 24). The easiest ways to keep your apples from Browning. Retrieved from https://miniyummers.com/why-do-apples-turn-brown/...

Effect of Acids and Bases on the Browning of Apples

Everything You Need for This Simple Experiment

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Apples and other fruit will turn brown when they are cut and the enzyme contained in the fruit (tyrosinase) and other substances (iron-containing phenols) are exposed to oxygen in the air.

The purpose of this  chemistry laboratory exercise is to observe the effects of  acids and bases  on the rate of browning of apples when they are cut and the enzymes inside them are exposed to oxygen.

A possible hypothesis for this experiment would be:

Acidity (pH) of a surface treatment does not ​affect the rate of the enzymatic browning reaction of cut apples.

Gather Materials

The following materials are needed for this exercise:

• Five slices of apple (or pear, banana, potato, or peach)
• Five plastic cups (or other clear containers)
• Vinegar (or dilute acetic acid )
• Lemon juice
• Solution of baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate ) and water (you want to dissolve the baking soda. Make the solution by adding water to your baking soda until it dissolves.)
• Solution of milk of magnesia and water (ratio isn't particularly important - you could make a mixture of one part water one part milk of magnesia. You just want the milk of magnesia to flow more readily.)
• Graduated cylinder (or measuring cups)

Procedure - Day One

• Lemon Juice
• Baking Soda Solution
• Milk of Magnesia Solution
• Add a slice of apple to each cup.
• Pour 50 ml or 1/4 cup of a substance over the apple in its labeled cup. You may want to swirl the liquid around the cup to make sure the apple slice is completely coated.
• Make note of the appearance of the apple slices immediately following treatment.
• Set aside the apple slices for a day.

Procedure and Data - Day Two

• Observe the apple slices and record your observations. It may be helpful to make a table listing the apple slice treatment in one column and the appearance of the apples in the other column. Record whatever you observe, such as the extent of browning (e.g., white, lightly brown, very brown, pink), the texture of the apple (dry? slimy?), and any other characteristics (smooth, wrinkled, odor, etc.)
• If you can, you may want to take a photograph of your apple slices to support your observations and for future reference.
• You may dispose of your apples and cups once you have recorded the data.

What does your data mean? Do all of your apple slices look the same? Are some different from others?

If the slices look the same, this would indicate that the acidity of the treatment had no effect on the enzymatic browning reaction in the apples. On the other hand, if the apple slices look different from each other, this would indicate something in the coatings affected the reaction.

First, determine whether or not the chemicals in the coatings were capable of affecting the browning reaction .

Even if the reaction was affected, this does not necessarily mean the acidity of the coatings influenced the reaction. For example, if the lemon juice-treated apple was white and the vinegar-treated apple was brown (both treatments are acids), this would be a clue that something more than acidity affected browning.

However, if the acid-treated apples (vinegar, lemon juice) were more/less brown than the neutral apple (water) and/or the base-treated apples (baking soda, milk of magnesia), then your results may indicate acidity affected the browning reaction.

Conclusions

You want your hypothesis to be a null hypothesis or no-difference hypothesis because it is easier to test whether or not a treatment has an effect than it is to try to assess what that effect is.

Was the hypothesis supported or not? If the rate of browning was not the same for the apples and the rate of browning was different for the acid-treated apples compared with the base-treated apples, then this would indicate that the pH ( acidity, basicity ) of the treatment did affect the rate of the enzymatic browning reaction. In this case, the hypothesis is not supported.

If an effect was observed (results), draw a conclusion about the type of chemical (acid? base?) capable of inactivating the enzymatic reaction.

Additional Questions

Here are some additional questions you may wish to answer upon completing this exercise:

• Based on your results, what substances in each apple treatment affected the enzyme activity responsible for the browning of the apples? Which substances did not appear to affect the enzyme activity ?
• Vinegar and lemon juice contain acids. Baking soda and milk of magnesia are bases. Water is neutral, neither an acid nor a base. From these results, can you conclude whether acids, pH neutral substances, and/or bases were able to reduce the activity of this enzyme (tyrosinase)? Can you think of a reason why some chemicals affected the enzyme while others didn't?
• Enzymes speed the rate of chemical reactions. However, the reaction may still be able to proceed without the enzyme, just more slowly. Design an experiment to determine whether or not the apples in which the enzymes have been inactivated will still turn brown within 24 hours.
• Acid & Base Science Fair Project Ideas
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Apple Browning Experiment

How do you keep apples from turning brown? Do all apples turn brown at the same rate? Let’s try to answer these burning apple science questions with an apple oxidation experiment that is pretty quick and easy to set up at home or in the classroom. Pair it with other fun apple science experiments!

Apple Oxidation Experiment

This is a great experiment to set up using the scientific method for kids . Use our printable apple browning experiment worksheet below to record your observations.

The independent variable will be the type of apple, and the dependent variable will the amount of lemon juice you add to each apple. Can you think of any other dependent variables?

• Apples! (We used 5 varieties of apples since we had just completed our apple 5 senses science activity beforehand.)
• Lemon Juice (or real lemon)
• Paper Plates, Knife, Small Cups (optiona)
• Printable Journal Pages (see below)

STEP 1: Label the paper plates with the name of each type of apple you are using.

STEP 2: Then cut two wedges of the same size out of each apple.

STEP 3: Place one wedge in a small dish and the other on the plate alongside the rest of the whole apple.

STEP 4: Squeeze a little lemon juice over each slice in the dishes and mix to coat evenly. Dump out excess juice. Do this for each apple.

STEP 5: Now wait and be patient. Record your observations.

If you want, set out a timer to get an accurate measurement of the time it takes for each apple to turn brown. This way you can record results in number of minutes for drawing conclusions later.

Our Results

• Which apple turned first?
• Did they all turn equal shades of brown?
• Does the apple slice coated in lemon juice taste different than the plain apple slice?
• Does the brown apple slice really taste all that bad?
• Did the lemon juice really work?

BELOW WAS OUR QUICKEST TURNING AND DARKEST BROWN APPLE SLICE.

He went on to happily eat both slices of cut apple and found them tasty. Fall is a great time of year for exploring apples!

Why Do Apples Turn Brown?

There’s great science behind the process of why an apple turns brown or why rotten spots are brown.

The simple science is that when an apple is damaged, or even cut into slices, the enzymes in the apple react with the oxygen in the air, which is a process called oxidation. The apple produces melanin to protect the apple which is the browning you see.

We watched this short video on Why do Apples Turn Brown?   which digs deeper into the exact science of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes. It’s a mouthful!

How Does Lemon Juice Stop Apples From Browning?

Lemon juice helps keep the apple from turning brown because it is full of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and it has a low (acidic) pH level. Learn more about the pH scale.

Ascorbic acid works because oxygen will react with it before it reacts with the polyphenol oxidase enzyme in the fruit. What else might prevent apples browning in a similar way?

Alternatives To Lemon Juice – Using the Scientific Method

The scientific method is a process or method of research. A problem is identified, information about the problem is gathered, a hypothesis or question is formulated from the information, and the hypothesis is tested with an experiment to prove or disprove its validity.

💡 READ MORE:   The Scientific Method For Kids With Examples

In the experiment below, we investigated whether lemon juice prevents apples from turning brown. Why not extend the learning and compare different ways to prevent cut apples from browning?

You could also test…

• Ascorbic Acid Powder
• Plain Water

Get your printable apple experiment worksheet!

Helpful Science Resources

Here are a few resources to help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

• Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
• Variables In Science
• Observation In Science
• Science Vocabulary
• 8 Science Books for Kids
• All About Scientists
• DIY Science Kits
• Science Tools for Kids

More Fun Apple Science Activities

• Learn about the parts of an apple .
• Use our printable life cycle of an apple worksheets to explore how an apple grows.
• Develop your observation skills with an apple 5 senses activity .
• Set up this awesome apple volcano experiment.
• Enjoy balancing apples for simple Fall physics.

 Printable Apple Project Pack

With more than 125+ pages of apple-themed projects , you can easily plan and prep an apple unit filled with hands-on learning. Suitable for both classroom and home use in grades Kindergarten through Elementary. Easy to adapt to a wide variety of ages and abilities with more or less adult supervision.

Note:  We have additional Pumpkin and General Fall Project Packs (leaves).

• 20+ Apple theme science and STEM activities  with printable sheets, instructions, and useful information using easy-to-source materials perfect for limited-time needs.
• Apple theme science activities  include making apple oobleck, testing sink or float, exploring an apple volcano, apple and lemon juice experiment, and dancing apple seeds. Fun and simple physics and chemistry with apples!
• Apple theme STEM challenges  include a variation of the classic spaghetti tower challenge with an apple theme, stacking 10 apples, building apple structures, and more!
• More apple activities  for science include parts of an apple pack, how an apple grows, apple tallying and graphing , apple taste test activity, apple 5 senses activity, and more!
• Apple Picking STEM Story Adventure Pack  with real-life STEM challenges to solve and supporting materials.
• NEW! Apple Themed Art Projects
• Supply lists  for every project make setup simple!

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Teaching with Jennifer Findley

Upper Elementary Teaching Blog

Apple Oxidation Science Experiment with FREE Science Reading Activity

Science experiments are such an important part of students’ learning. However, sometimes I felt that my science standards didn’t lend themselves to the kind of experiments that my students really needed.

Implementing seasonal themed science experiments was a great way to incorporate engaging science experiments that I felt really benefited my students. This post shares a science experiment with free science reading activity that is perfect for a fall science experiment. This experiment is also great for using text evidence and existing science to support predictions and make conclusions about the results.

Step 1: Read the text about apple oxidation with the “Apple Browning” passage.

Step 2: Using the information from the passage, plan an experiment to test liquids for ascorbic acid OR use the directions page with materials and steps provided.

Step 3: Select a variety of liquids. Examples:

• plain water
• salt water (1/8 tsp of salt, 1 cup of water)
• sugared water (1 tbsp of sugar, 1 cup of water)
• honey water (1 tbsp of honey, 1 cup of water)
• pure lemon juice
• apple juice
• orange juice

Step 4: Students will write down predictions about how each liquid will affect the oxidation process of the apple (using the information they read in Step 1 to support their predictions).

Step 5: Prepare and pour each liquid into its own bowl, cup, or baggie. Be sure to label the liquids and use the same amount of each.

Step 6: Slice an apple into small pieces.

Step 7: Immediately place one apple piece into each liquid. Make sure the liquid is covering the white part of the apple. Leave one piece of apple out of the liquid as the control variable.

Step 8: After 3 minutes, remove the apples from the liquid and place them on a platter. Record observations using the printable chart in the free download.

Step 9: After 6 minutes, observe the apples again and record any new observations.

Step 10: Check predictions and complete the reflection printable. The students will use both the details from the text and their own observations to make their conclusions.

Download FREE Apple Oxidation Printables

Click here or on the image below to download the free directions and science reading activity for this science experiment.

This activity can be done whole class, during a small group science rotation,  or even in small groups. If you do it in small groups, you (or a parent volunteer or support teacher) would need to go around to each group to cut the apple into slices.

More Science Experiments and Demonstrations

Making an Edible Animal Cell

Making a Noodle Plant Cell

Solar Oven Project with Free Printables

Ice Cream in a Bag with Free Printables

Making a Paper Clip STEM with Free Printables

STEM Activities with Pencils (Free Printables)

Spring Science Experiments with Free Reading Activities

Spring Engineering Activities with Jelly Beans

Want More Fall Activities?

Want more fall activities and ideas? Click on the links below to see more posts.

Fall Activities for Upper Elementary

Fall Engineering Challenges

Thanksgiving Science with Cranberries

Then, click the links below to check out my favorite Fall math and reading resources.

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Fall Math Centers

4th Grade Fall and Thanksgiving Math Printables

5th Grade Fall and Thanksgiving Math Printables

Thanksgiving Reading Activities

This post was created in collaboration with A Stults.

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Reader interactions.

May 16, 2019 at 6:25 pm

Thank you for sharing, I think this is a great easy way of showing students the process of oxidation.

May 12, 2020 at 3:53 pm

Thats Awesome!

March 21, 2023 at 8:15 am

Thank you for the idea!

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The Apple Mystery: A Fun Oxidation Experiment for Kids

Have you ever wondered why apples turn brown after you slice them? With this fun experiment, you can become a detective and crack the case!  

Materials: 

• Sharp knife (with adult supervision)  
• Cutting board  
• 5 small bowls or containers  
• Lemon juice  
• Salt water (mix 1 teaspoon of salt with 1 cup of water)  
• Baking soda water (mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 cup of water)  
• Pen and paper  

Let’s Experiment! 

• Prepare your apple slices: Wash and dry the apple. Cut it in half and then into thin slices. Try to make the slices as even as possible.  
• Label your bowls: Write the names of each liquid on separate pieces of paper and attach them to the bowls. You should have bowls labeled “lemon juice,” “vinegar,” “salt water,” “baking soda water,” and “water” (this is your control group).  
• Dip and observe: Place one apple slice in each bowl. Make sure the slices are completely submerged in the liquids.  
• Wait and watch: Set a timer for 30 minutes and observe the apple slices. Do they all start to brown at the same rate? The scientific term for the browning process is oxidation. Are some liquids more effective at preventing browning than others?  
• Record your results: After 30 minutes, take out the apple slices and compare them. How brown are they? Write down your observations in a chart or table.  
• Analyze the results: Which liquid did the best job of preventing browning? Which liquid had the least effect? Can you explain why?  

Explanation: 

When the apple flesh is exposed to air, the enzymes in the apple react with oxygen in the air, causing the browning. Lemon juice, vinegar, and salt water are acidic, which slows down the enzyme activity/ oxidation. Baking soda water is alkaline, which can speed up the browning process.  

Bonus challenge: Try the experiment with different types of apples and see if the results are the same. You can also try different liquids, like soda or honey water, to see how they affect browning.

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Home » Articles » STEM » STEM Science » Apple Oxidation Experiment

Apple Oxidation Experiment

You probably heard the word “antioxidant” in some health-related articles or commercials. but do you know what antioxidants are and how they work you will find out today with this simple apple science experiment, article contents.

1. What is Oxidation? 2. What are the Antioxidants? 3. The science behind the Apple Oxidation Activity 4. Materials needed for an Apple Oxidation Experiment with Lemon Acid 5. Instruction for Apple Oxidation Experiment 6. What Will You Learn And Develop By Doing this Apple Experiment

What is Oxidation?

In simple terms, oxidation is a loss of electrons in an element or a compound in contact with the oxygen in the air. The opposite process is called reduction. Reduction is the process where a compound or an element gains electrons in the contact with oxygen.

The most well-known example of oxidation is when iron combines with oxygen to form iron oxide or rust . In these situations, we say that iron has oxidized into rust.

After the discovery of electrons, scientists concluded that oxidation and reduction are happening at the same time. That process is called Redox reaction or Oxidation-reduction.

Some elements, such as Sodium, Magnesium, and Iron lose electrons more easily than the others – we say they are easily oxidized . On the other hand, there are elements that hold their electrons more tightly, like Nitrogen and Chlorine – they are hard to oxidize .

Interestingly, oxidation doesn’t necessarily involve oxygen! Oxygen was the first discovered oxidant so the name stayed until today. There is another oxidation definition that includes hydrogen . Here, oxidation is the loss of hydrogen, while reduction is the gain of hydrogen. This is the opposite of the oxygen definition, so it may be confusing. That’s why it is good to be aware of this alternative definition of oxidation.

What are the Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are the molecules that prevent oxidation in other molecules . Why is that important? Most life on the Earth requires oxygen for its survival. However, oxidation in our body can lead to the production of free radicals which may damage our cells.

If your body has high levels of free radicals, it can cause harm. Free radicals are linked to a variety of diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But they are mostly kept in check by our body’s antioxidant defenses.

Antioxidants are slowing down that process of oxidation – in theory, they could slow down the aging process and prevent the development of certain diseases. The best-known antioxidants in the human body are vitamins C and E and can be found in food, especially plant-based foods like fruit and vegetable. Lemon is especially rich in vitamin C because of the lemon acid. Lemon acid (just like all other acids) has lower pH values and that is why they slow down reactions with oxygen.

But next to being good for our bodies, antioxidants are used as food preservatives too! In the food preservation process, antioxidants are compounds that delay or prevent the deterioration of foods by oxidative mechanisms. It involves the addition of an oxygen atom or the removal of a hydrogen atom from the different chemical molecules found in food.

The science behind the Apple Oxidation Activity

Why is the apple quickly turning brown when peeled off or sliced? Apple contains a peel or shell that protects the inside of an apple. When the inner part of the apple is exposed to air, browning in apples occurs. That browning process is called enzymatic browning or oxidation reaction .

That’s because the oxygen-reactive enzyme is found under the surface (skin) layer. These enzymes are called phenols and they are found in the cells of the apple. The brown color of the skin is caused by the phenols being transformed into melanin . The phenolase enzymes need to be protected in order to stop the reaction. And that can be achieved by using heat or acid.

Citric acid from the lemon serves as an antioxidant in our experiment. All acids slow down the oxidation process because of their low pH. Oxygen will first react with acid and only when all acid has been depleted will it react with the apple enzymes. Then we will see an apple turning brown.

Materials needed for an Apple Oxidation Experiment with Lemon Acid

• Apple. One apple will be enough. The fresher apple will make the experiment more clear but any apple will suffice. Just make sure you are able to make at least 2 apple slices.
• Lemon. One lemon or even one slice of lemon will be enough. We just need to apply citric acid to one slice of the apple, and for that, we just need a small amount of lemon acid.
• Cup or bowl. Cup will help us to squeeze lemon in it so we can apply lemon acid more easily to the apple. But it’s entirely optional.
• Brush. As with the cup, the brush can help us to apply lemon acid to the apple slice more precisely for better experiment effects. But we can even soak the apple in acid or apply in any other way so the brush is also optional. 
• Kitchen knife. To slice the apple. It shouldn’t be a problem to get a kitchen knife so we can cut 2, same-sized apple slices for the best comparison of experiment results.

Instruction for Apple Oxidation Experiment

For video instruction on how to do this experiment, watch the “how-to” video at the beginning of an article or continue reading for step-by-step instructions.

1. Cut an apple in half, so you have 2 equal apple pieces.

2. Take the lemon you have prepared and squeeze it into a cup . Or you can directly squeeze the lemon juice on one apple slice if you want to speed up the process.

3. Take a brush, dip it into the lemon juice , and spread it over one apple slice . This will be our experiment slice where we try to prevent the oxidation process. Don’t apply anything to another slice since. We will see what happens to the apple if we don’t apply any food preservatives to it.

4. Leave your 2 apple slices at room temperature for a couple of hours. You can check your apple slices every hour to see if there is any difference. You should notice the differences between the 2 slices already after one hour.

5. Check the state of your apple halves after 1, 2, and 3 hours and talk with your child about the observed effects.

What Will You Learn And Develop By Doing this Apple Experiment

• Formulating scientific hypotheses,
• Planning and conducting a scientific experiment,
• Observing and tracking results,
• Enhancing the logical thinking skills,
• Learning about chemical processes, oxidation, antioxidants, and food preservatives.

If you enjoyed this experiment and would like to do more experiments with simple ingredients, check out these great activities:

• If you enjoyed the Apple oxidation experiment, you will love the Gummy bear osmosis experiment where you will learn about osmosis using tasty gummy bears.
• Learn How to make sugar crystals , and learn about crystallization while making a great homemade treat.
• Learn How to make plastic from milk and vinegar , and create your own amazing plastic from plain milk. With some molds, you can be your own toymaker!
• And for another kitchen experiment, be sure to try a simple Orange density experiment and learn about buoyancy.

Happy science learning and don’t forget about the most important thing – having fun!

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Apple Oxidation Experiment

Have you ever noticed that if you slice an apple in the morning, it turns brown by lunch? This is actually a chemical reaction at work! In this experiment, you’ll learn more about how the oxygen in the air around us causes this reaction (also known as oxidation). With a little help from Ziploc bags, test different liquids to see if you can figure out a way to keep apples fresh from morning to noon.

Want to learn more about chemistry without the hassle of gathering materials? Explore 11 fun chemistry experiments with a Chemistry Play Lab from the KiwiCo Store !

Ages: 3 - 4

30 minutes - 1 hour

A little messy

Materials you'll need

• ziploc® brand sandwich bags
• water (1/4 cup)
• lemon juice (1/4 cup)
• vinegar (1/4 cup)
• milk (1/4 cup)
• apple slices
• permanent marker (soft felt-tipped)

Step-by-step tutorial

Gather your materials.

On four Ziploc® brand sandwich bags, write the name of the liquid you’re going to test. Label a fifth bag “nothing” for your control bag. This bag will contain apples with no liquid. That way, you’ll be able to see the difference between a normal apple and the other apples that have been soaked!

Pour the water, lemon juice, vinegar, and milk in separate bags. Make sure to match each liquid to its label.

Place two apple slices in each bag. Seal the bag and lightly shake it so the liquid coats the apple slices. Let them soak for two or three minutes.

Pour any excess liquid out of the bags. Reseal them and check on the apples every 10 to 15 minutes to see what happens. Which ones turn brown? Which ones stay fresh?

When apples are cut, the exposed fruit underneath the skin react with the oxygen in the air, which causes the apple slices to turn brown. This experiment explores how the apple slices react when coated with different liquids, like milk, lemon juice, vinegar, or water. You’ll discover lemon juice is one of the liquids that work best. That’s because lemon juice is very acidic (and why it tastes so sour!) and will react with oxygen before oxygen reacts with the apple. A light spritz of lemon juice will keep your apples fresh without altering their taste too much.

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Science project, why do apples turn brown.

Have you ever bitten into an apple, set it down for a few moments, and found that it has turned brown? This is caused by an enzyme (polyphenol oxidase and catechol oxidase are two common examples) that reacts with oxygen in the air and an iron or copper cofactor in the fruit. A cofactor is a component that is necessary for a certain enzymatic reactions to happen. The fruit starts to oxidize, when electrons are lost to another molecule (in this case the air), and the food turns brown. In other words, it’s like edible rust on your food!

Oxidation can be prevented or slowed down by not allowing oxygen to get to the surface of the fruit. To accomplish this, you can cook the food, which destroys the enzyme. It is also possible to prevent browning without cooking by covering the fruit (preventing air from reaching the fruit), or by lowering the pH on the surface, making it more acidic .

Which liquid do you think will prevent the food from turning brown the best? Why?

• Baking sheet or wax paper
• Labeling tape
• Pen or marker
• Lemon juice
• Any other liquid you want to test
• Any other fruit or vegetable you want to test
• Camera (optional)
• Use the tape to create labels for each type of liquid you will test.
• Place your labels on the baking sheet or wax paper. This is where you will set down your samples for observation.
• Cut each fruit or vegetable into slices at least 1-cm thick. Make sure you have as many slices of each food item as you do liquids to test, plus one more for a control. Have an adult help you cut your samples! Why should the food samples be cut?
• Set out a slice of each food item on the baking sheet or was paper under the heading “Control.” Why is it important to have a control?
• Fill the bowl with enough liquid to fully submerge each sample.
• For each fruit or vegetable you are testing, dip a slice into the liquid with tongs. Be sure to cover the whole slice! Let the extra liquid drip off before placing it under the correct label on the baking sheet or wax paper.
• Rinse out the bowl and repeat until you have made samples with each liquid.
• Record all your observations, taking note of the time. You can also take pictures to document how the food turns brown over several hours.

Lemon juice, Vinegar, clear soda will all prevent food from turning brown quickly. These liquids are acidic, so they will lower the pH of the food surface. Olive oil, will also prevent food from browning, but is less effective than the acids. Water and salt water will also slow the browning of foods.

Lemon juice is the most effective, and by chance, also the most delicious!

Having a control group is necessary because it is important to know how long the food samples will take to turn brown without any liquid added.

The food’s skin protects the inside “meat” of the fruit or vegetable from damage and debris. When a fruit or vegetable is dropped and the skin is poked or broken, the food often goes bad faster. The reason fruits and some vegetables go brown when they are cut is because the part containing the oxygen-reactive enzyme is exposed. There is then a lot of surface area for the air to come in contact with the food. For the most part, brown fruits and vegetables still taste fine, they just do not look very appetizing.

Acids prevent browning because they react with the oxygen that comes into contact with the surface of the sample. Once all the acid (or whatever else is covering the surface) has reacted with the oxygen or the acid has degraded or washed off, then the sample will start to brown again. Stronger acids, like lemon juice, can even denature the enzyme. This means that the enzyme can no longer perform its original function because of its environment.

Digging Deeper

Why doesn’t dried fruit turn brown? What about the fruit drying process prevents enzymatic reaction with oxygen?

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July 30, 2007

Why do apple slices turn brown after being cut?

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Lynne McLandsborough, a professor of food science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explains this oft-observed kitchen conundrum.

When an apple is cut (or bruised), oxygen is introduced into the injured plant tissue. When oxygen is present in cells, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) enzymes in the chloroplasts rapidly oxidize phenolic compounds naturally present in the apple tissues to o-quinones, colorless precursors to brown-colored secondary products. O-quinones then produce the well documented brown color by reacting to form compounds with amino acids or proteins, or they self-assemble to make polymers.

One question that often accompanies yours is, "Why do some apples seem to brown faster than others?"

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Well, nearly all plant tissues contain PPO, however, the level of PPO activity and concentration of substrate--here, the phenolic compounds--can vary between varieties of fruits (say, Granny Smith versus Red Delicious). In addition, a tissue's PPO level can vary depending on growing conditions and fruit maturity. One approach the food industry employs to prevent enzymatic browning is to select fruit varieties that are less susceptible to discoloration—either due to lower PPO activity or lower substrate concentration. This approach, however, may not be practical for the home "culinary scientist."

In the home kitchen enzymatic browning can be prevented by either reducing PPO oxidation activity or lowering the amount of substrate to which the enzyme can bind. Coating freshly cut apples in sugar or syrup can reduce oxygen diffusion and thus slow the browning reaction. Lemon or pineapple juices, both of which naturally contain antioxidants, can be used to coat apple slices and slow enzymatic browning. In addition, both fruit juices are acidic and the lower pH that they bring about causes PPO to become less active. Heating can also be used to inactivate PPO enzymes; apples can be blanched in boiling water for four to five minutes to nearly eliminate PPO activity. (Be warned that cooking will affect the texture of the product.)

Enzymatic browning is not unique to apples. PPO—a mixture of monophenol oxidase and catechol oxidase enzymes—is present in nearly all plant tissues and can also be found in bacteria, animals and fungi. In fact, browning by PPO is not always an undesirable reaction; the familiar brown color of tea, coffee and cocoa is developed by PPO enzymatic browning during product processing.

VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

Browning Apple: Data Analysis

By Janice VanCleave

How to Create a Comparative Color Scale

Your experiment is over and data has been collected. You now want to study your data results and make comparisons between the independent variable and the dependent variable. For the example project, a color scale can be created in order to have quantitative information to describe the results.

The color scale is an example that I created using the program called Snagit!. This program allows me to create the chart and different colored dots.

Note : The scale shown doesn’t indicate units. Instead, it is a color scale from 0 to 10  that indicates degree of oxidation. Since the oxidation of a peeled apple causes the exposed flesh of the fruit to turn brown, a color value of zero “0” indicates no oxidation, and a color value of 10 is the greatest amount of oxidation that the scale measures.

Yes, I created the color scale so that I would have a quantitative value for oxidation. Yes, you can create your own color scaled and yes it is scientifically valid as long as you show your scale with  your data analysis. I did not invent the oxidation colors. I just created a number scale that is used to indicate the degree of oxidation, with the darker more oxidized color represented by higher numbers.

In creating my oxidation color scale, I started with the color of the apple flesh before being oxidized (color when peel is first removed. The color of the greatest oxidation would be the control (water) which is the darkest brown. I then, tried to create a color scale that increased in darkness with each higher number. There are no units on the oxidation scale because it is a comparison and not exact measurements.

Send comments and suggestions to ASK JANICE

RETURN TO SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT TEACHING TIPS for the next step

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Peach gum edible coating film delays the browning of postharvest litchi and maintains its quality

• Original Article
• Published: 23 September 2024

Cite this article

• Feilong Yin 1 ,
• Fuyang Wang 1 ,
• Ning Xu 2 ,
• Liang Shuai 3 ,
• Yuanli Liang 1 ,
• Mubo Song 1 ,
• Meiying He 1 ,
• Wen Cai 1 &
• Yunfen Liu   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-2480-5407 1  

This study aims to investigate the impacts of the peach gum (PG) edible coating film on pericarp browning of ‘Guiwei’ litchi stored at ambient temperature. Factor analysis was applied to comprehensively evaluate the effect of different concentrations (0, 1%, 2%, 4%) of PG treatments. Compared to the control, 4% PG treatment could effectively suppress the rising of relative electric conductivity, delay the degradation of anthocyanin, maintain the a * and c *value and higher TSS content, and inhibit the browning index. Moreover, 4% PG treatment reduced the accumulation of total phenols and flavonoids, including gallic catechin (GC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), epicatechin (EC), epicatechin gallate (ECG), and catechin gallate (CG), restrain the peroxidase activity. 4% PG treatment also contributes to higher organic acid content (oxalic acid, ascorbic acid, malic acid, and succinic acid), maintaining good litchi flavor. In conclusion, the 4% PG treatment provides good performance, and these findings will provide a promising approach for litchi preservation.

peach gum is a natural material originating from a peach plant, which is environmentally friendly as a preservation agent;

peach gum can form an edible film, which can provide a barrier for avoiding water loss and bacteria;

4% peach gum treatment could effectively inhibit browning and maintain the storage quality of postharvest litchi.

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Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31860457, 32260611); Guangxi Natural Science Foundation (2023GXNSFBA026112); College students’ innovation and entrepreneurship (202111838087); Post-doctoral start-up foundation of Hezhou University(349000075).

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College of Food and Biological Engineering, Guangxi Key Laboratory of Health Care Food Science and Technology, Hezhou University, Hezhou, Guangxi, 542899, China

Feilong Yin, Fuyang Wang, Yuanli Liang, Mubo Song, Meiying He, Wen Cai & Yunfen Liu

Institute of Hunan Edible Fungi, Changsha, Hunan, China

College of Chemistry and Food Science, Nanchang Normal University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China

Liang Shuai

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Contributions

FLY and FYW carried out the experiment and data curation; NX was involved the manuscript editing; LS and MYH were the funding supporters; YLL and MBS reviewed the manuscript; WC and YFL supervised the work and wrote the original manuscript.

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Correspondence to Yunfen Liu .

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Yin, F., Wang, F., Xu, N. et al. Peach gum edible coating film delays the browning of postharvest litchi and maintains its quality. J Food Sci Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-024-06046-5

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Revised : 15 February 2024

Accepted : 30 July 2024

Published : 23 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-024-06046-5

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