T-Test Results

Purpose, Discussion, and Conclusion

Purpose:
To determine which liquid material is most efficient at emulsifying/physically breaking down large pieces of fat into smaller droplets.

Discussion:
Baking Soda is the most efficient emulsifier out of the six variables I tested with.
The reason why baking soda worked best could be explained from the process of soap making or saponification. Soap is a surfactant that consists of both polar and non-polar ends—amphipathic, which means it can dissolve in both water (polar) and oil (non-polar). Soap is made through a hydolysis process in which an alkali (base) reacts with a fat or oil—saponification. The alkali breaks the ester bond (fats are triglycerides which consist of a special type of bonds – ester bonds) and simplifies the complex fat into fatty acids and glycerine. The reaction between baking soda and the canola oil are very much the same as the reaction mentioned above. The baking soda (alkaline - NaHCO3) and oil (CH3(CH2)16COOH) are mixed together, thus forming a soap.

Conclusion:
My hypothesis stated that liquid substances that are chemically similar to bile/bile acid will dissolve/break down fat best. Bile is amphipathic, which means a substance consisting of both polar and non-polar components would emulsify fat. Through the experiments, my results proved that none of the tested edible substances that are amphipathic worked significantly to emulsify the fat. However, an alkaline liquid (baking soda) demonstrated considerable fat emulsification or conversion of fat to a different substance.

Result: Data Table and Observations

Science Fair Report #3

The original idea about using the butter as my fat and allowing it to sit in the liquid did not work out. So now I’m using cooking oil and I’m trying to find out which liquid helps emulsify fat molecules.

Problem: Which liquid substances (preferably edible items) help emulsify fat?

Purpose: To find out which liquid material is most efficient at emulsifying/physically breaking down large pieces of fat into smaller droplets.

Hypothesis:

I would expect liquid substances that are chemically similar to bile/bile acid to dissolve/break down fat best. Therefore the substance should consist of polar and non-polar components (maybe alcohol - wine).

Materials:
● Canola oil
● 75mL of each type of liquid (tea, coffee, vinegar, baking soda, gravol, vinegar & baking soda)
● Syringes
● Plastic cups
● Popsicle Sticks
*Preparation of baking soda and gravol solutions: measure baking soda (25mL) and gravol (three 50mg tablets), respectively, and mix each with 75mL of hot water.
*Preparation of the vinegar & baking soda solution: measure baking soda (15mL) and vinegar (75mL) and mix together.

Control: - oil and water

Variable: - the different substances I’m testing with (tea, coffee, vinegar, baking soda, gravel, vinegar & baking soda)

Procedure:
1. Prepare 7 plastic cups and pour 25mL of oil into each cup.
2. Pour 75mL of the testing liquid into a cup. Repeat process for the remaining testing liquids.
3. Record the amounts in the Starting Amount column.
4. Observe and record your observations in the before column.
5. Stir and mix well until oil and liquid is combined together (approximately 1 minute).
6. Let solutions sit for two hours.
7. Observe and record your observations in the after column.
8. Use a syringe to extract the different layers. Be careful not to disturb the other layers while doing that.
9. Record the amounts of each extracted layer on the table.

Science Fair Report #2

Problem: Which liquid substance help break down fat molecules best?

Purpose: To find out which liquid material is most efficient at breaking down fat molecules.

Method for Measuring:
1) First figure out the volume (fat & liquid), drain liquid, remaining substance you subtract from the original volume.
2) If the fat floated to the top, separate the fat from liquid and measure the fat according to grams.

Hypothesis:
I think white vinegar would break down fat molecules best because acids split fat. Since vinegar is acidic, then it would be able to break down fat.

Materials:
● A block of butter (fat)
● 1 cup of each type of liquid
● 1 cup of water (H2O - at room temperature – 18 °C to 22 °C)
● Digital Scale (for weighing the fat)
● Liquid measures
● Plastic containers

Control: - water (H2O)

Variable: - the different liquids I’m testing with
-->So far I have decided to use these liquids:
● Coffee (major chemicals: C8H10N4O2 & C20H28O3)
● White vinegar (major chemicals: CH3COO & H2O)
● Milk
● Seven-up
● Green tea

***Ms. Turner, I have a question to ask you regarding which type of fat I’m using. Butter might not be the best choice of fat because it may melt while sitting out on the counter overnight. Are their any other options of fat I could use?

*Comment: Try it & see, another option is a vegetable fat – ex. Cooking oil.

Science Fair Report #1

Problem: Which substances help break down fat molecules best?

I was wondering if I could measure the fat by first looking at the volume (fat & liquid), drain the water, what’s left I would subtract the amount from the original volume. Another method I was thinking about was, if the fat floated to the top, I would separate it from the liquid then measure that fat according to grams.

Research:
Soap --
(fatty end) :CH3-(CH2)n - COONa: (water soluble end)

Sodium Stearate: CH3(CH2)16COONa)

*Tryglyceride -- RCOO-CH2CH(-OOCR')CH2-OOCR

• The sodium end of the molecule attracts water. The long hydrocarbon chain at the other end attracts oils and fats.
• Uses: Works by breaking fat and oil droplets into small pieces. The pieces are coated with the soap, with the hydrocarbon chains attached to the fat, leaving the Na ends dangling in the water. The oils are now completely surrounded by water, instead of being attached to skin or clothing, and so they wash away in the rinse.
• Soap – composed of Na/K salt of fatty acids derived by reacting with lye in saponificationàfats are hydrolyzed by the base, producing glycerol & crude soap

Science Fair Proposal

Problem:
Which substance help break down fat molecules best?

Background:
Why are you interested in this project? What information do you have & where did you get it?
I want to find a way to takeaway some fat from what you are eating. Trying out this experiment would help me discover what type of drinking liquids would bring away some of the fat you had just absorbed. Many people say that drinking certain liquids could help them feel less oily after a meal. I want to experiment, which liquids actually work and which doesn’t.

Has anyone done this project before & what did they find out? How are you going to extend it into something different?
There could be some experiments that are similar to the one that I am doing. I could further extend this project into something different by focusing on the liquid that worked best and investigating deeper into why this method worked. I could try increasing the amount of liquid used to eliminate the fat or I could attempt to use another liquid that has similar chemical structure to this liquid.

Purpose:
What are you trying to find out?
I’m trying to find out which liquid is better at breaking down fat.

Hypothesis:
What results are you expecting?
I believe vinegar would break down fat best because acids could break down fat (correct me if I’m wrong), since vinegar is acidic therefore vinegar would break fat.

What is your control?
● Water (H2O)

What is your variable?
● The different liquids I’m testing with

Materials:
● A block of solid fat
● A variety of liquids (coffee, tea, vinegar, milk, etc.)
● Bowls
● Scale/measuring cup (measuring the fat)