Do different red flowers
have the same
pigments?
Hypothesis :
My hypothesis is that
all three red flowers I
have collected will have
the same pigments.
In this experiment I am going to
use chromatography paper to help
determine if a red rose, tulip, and
carnation all have the same pigments.
Materials:
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Chromatography paper
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil (2)
Flower petals from 3 different red flowers
Isopropyl alcohol
Distilled water
2-cup liquid measuring cup
Spoon
Large-mouth glass jar
coin
Variables:
• Independent: the 3 different types of
flowers.
• Dependent: the pigments of the
flowers.
• Controlled: the amount of solvent
and the same strips of
chromatography paper.
Step-by-Step Procedures
1. Cut chromatography paper strips about 5 inches long
(they should all be the same size).
2. Use a ruler and pencil to draw a line across each
paper strip, horizontally, 2 cm from the bottom. This
is the origin line, where the sample is spotted.
3. Using a pencil, number each strip at the top so that
you can identify it later.
4. To transfer the pigments onto the chromatography
paper, you will crush a petal from each flower with a
coin. Lay the flower petal on the chromatography
strip, over the origin line. Roll the coin, like a wheel,
over the petal, pushing down so that a strip of the
pigment is transferred to the strip.
Step-by-Step Precedures
5. Make your solvent out of 50% isopropyl alcohol and water
by mixing 1 cup of water with 1 cup of isopropyl alcohol.
6.Pour a small amount of the solvent into your glass jar, about
1 inch deep and lay pencil across the jar.
7. Tape a strip of the chromatography paper that has been
imprinted with a flower's pigment to the pencil and hang it
into the jar of solvent so that the bottom edge is just
immersed in the solvent.
8. Allow the chromatography paper to remain in the solvent
for 1 hour, or until the solvent front approaches the top of
the strip, then take the strips out of the jar.
Step-by-Step Precedures
9. Use a pencil to mark the solvent front.
10. Measure the distance from the origin to the solvent
front and from the origin to the top of the pigment
band that should now be visible. Record the data in
your lab notebook. Repeat Spotting the Sample onto
the Paper, step 2, and Placing the Strip in the
Chromatography Chamber, steps 1-8, with the other
red-colored flowers.
11. Now use the equation “distance to top of pigment
band (cm) over distance to solvent front (cm)” to
calculate the value for each pigment.
12. Now see if the pigments are the same or different.
DATA:
By using the equation “distance to top of pigment band
(cm) over distance to solvent front (cm)”
I got the following answers.
Tulip (#1) : 7.62/2.54 or 3
Rose (#2) : 7.62/2.54 or 3
Carnation (#3) : 7/1.27 or 5.511811
The Pigments of Flowers
(USING THE EQUATION)
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Tulip
Rose
Carnation
Results:
In this experiment, I discovered
that by using the given equation I
was able to find that the tulip’s
pigmentation=3, the rose’s
pigmentation =3, and the
carnations pigmentation=
5.511811.
Conclusion:
My conclusion is that the tulip and rose have the
same pigmentation, but the carnation has different
pigmentation.
Citations :
www.sciencebuddies.com
The
End!