Experiment with chlorophyll

We are going to carry out this homemade experiment, the experiment with chlorophyll. 

¿What is chlorophyll?

Chlorophyll is a green pigment that is present in the leaves and stems of many vegetables. It performs an important function in photosynthesis.

In this experiment we will check that the color of chlorophyll is green. We could also use this experiment to explain what are bases and acids, but being an experiment for children, we will only explain why the color changes when chlorophyll disappears.

Materials experiment with chlorophyll:

1) 2 containers.

2) Sweet beans.

3) Juice of a lemon.

4) Bicarbonate.

¿How do we perform the experiment with chlorophyll?

1. In one of the two containers we put half of the tender beans together with the lemon juice, and in the other container we put the rest of the beans and the bicarbonate.

2. We put the two pots to cook and after a few minutes we remove the beans. We observed that the beans of the first container have lost their green color and have darkened.

¿Why have they lost their green color?

When the lemon juice (acid) is put in the first container it destroys the chlorophyll and eliminates the green color.

In the second container the green color is conserved, since the bicarbonate (base) does not modify the structure of the chlorophyll and therefore the beans retain their color.