Extraction Experiments Using Commercially Available Spices

Abstract

Safe and cost-effective experiments were designed for high school students to enhance their laboratory skills and knowledge on polarity and separation of mixtures. Annatto, Spanish paprika and turmeric were extracted yielding red-orange, light red-orange and yellow color, respectively. These were combined with a blue aqueous solution made from food color resulting to green mixtures. These were all extracted with kerosene or oil/kerosene. The non-polar solutes for each mixtures combined with the kerosene or oil/kerosene layer, making the polar phase blue again. Students gained a better understanding of the concepts as shown in their laboratory report and test results.