The Orange in Carrots (Super Science Experiments)

You will need:

1. 3 transparent water glasses
2. Grated carrot
3. Water
4. Oil
5. Food colour

Understand the importance of staining the cells in the human body. Infections and diseases can be identified simply by staining some oil and water with carrot pigments.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. First experiment with food colour, water
   and oil. In glass-1, add water and in the glass-2, add oil.
2. To both the glasses add a few drops of food colour. What happens?
3. Now, mix the oil and water in the glass-3 and add a few drops of food colour. What happens?
4. Once you have noted down your observations, throw out the water and oil and clean the glasses.
5. Attempt this same experiment with the grated carrot.
6. First, mix the grated carrot in glass-1 water. Give it a good stir.
7. Next, mix some grated carrot in a glass-2 in oil. Give it a good shake.
8. Now, mix water into the oil in glass-3 and add a few drops of grated carrot. What happens?

RESULT

Unlike food colour and water, the colour released by beta carotene in the carrot turns the water cloudy orange. On closer inspection, you will notice that carrots do not leak any colour. Mixing this food coloured water with oil stains the oil but leaves the water colourless. When the grated carrot is added to oil directly, it turns bright orange. Mixing this coloured oil with water does not colour the water. Like carrots, there are many other materials, which may stain other materials that stain the DNA or proteins in our body. Specific staining helps doctors and researchers identify the parts of the cell or damaged cell to identify diseases.