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.
Effect of Acids and Bases on the Browning of Apples - Chemistry Experiments
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., About.com Guide
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.
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- Purpose of the Experiment
- Gather Materials
- Procedure - Day One
- Procedure and Data - Day Two
- Results
- Conclusions
- Additional Questions
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