Organic vs. Non-organic foods

Why did you choose this project?
I chose this project because I was interested in knowing whether or not organic foods were better for you that non-organic foods, on the basis that organic foods contain nutrients in higher quantities.

What did you enjoy most about the project?
I enjoyed testing the foods, as I got to do a lot of new fun tests. My teachers were really nice and let me use the school labs to do the tests in.

What have you learned from the project?
I learnt that organic foods don't actually contain nutrients in higher quantities that non-organic foods, or they do but it is such a small amount that it didn't show up in my tests. I also learnt which foods contain high amounts of protein, vitamin C and glucose, which I learnt whilst researching and deciding what foods I was going to test.

How did your parent or mentor help you?
My mum helped me heaps! She helped me come up with the idea of the experiment, helped me buy the foods, and she helped me blend them up. She also helped me film a lot too. My science teachers also helped by providing me with the tests and the equipment and facilities needed for it, as well as supervising me while I was doing the tests.

For the senior age group (13-18): briefly explain the underlying scientific theories behind the project, and any formulas or calculations used in the project.
The theory this experiment was based on is that organic foods are more nutritious than non-organic foods, in the sense that they have higher quantities of nutrients. I chose the method I did because it compared concentrates of the nutrients, which is what I wanted to do. In the first test, for vitamin C, the starch solution (which I made from corn starch and water) and the iodine, reacted with the vitamin C in the kiwi fruit juice to change the colour of he solution from dark blue/purple to clear. In the second test, the sodium hydroxide and the copper (II) sulphate reacted with the protein in the feta cheese to change the solution to a violet purple. In the final test, the Benedict's solution reacted with the glucose in the apple juice when heat was applied, to change the solution from a dark blue to a bright orange. All the tests were basic colour change reactions, with the chemicals added to the foods acting as indicators.

To vote for this entry, click the thumbs up below

+ 48