Ageless Apples

Section CHEMICAL REACTIONS Topic REACTION RATES & CATALYSTS

Estimated Time  Setup: 5-10 minutes; Procedure: 1 day

OVERVIEW MATERIALS
Students explore the chemistry of browning apples and a simple acid-base reaction that affects For one setup:
this process.
○ ¼ cup lemon juice

In this activity, students place apple slices into solutions that are acids, bases, or neutral. A ○ 1 tbsp. baking soda
day later, they examine the apples and can see dramatic differences in how much each of the ○ ½ cup water (distilled, if possible)
slices browned or decayed. Students can explore how acidity changes reaction rates and the ○ 1 apple
chemistry of food preservation. ○ 3 sealable sandwich bags (or small
bowls with lids)
○ Permanent marker
○ ¼ and ½ cup measurer, tablespoon
INQUIRY QUESTIONS ○ Knife or apple slicer
Getting Started:
 How do we know if a chemical or physical change has occurred?

Learning More:
 What is an acid and a base, and how do they affect the rate at which an apple browns?
ACTIVITY NOTES
Diving Deeper: This activity is good for:
 What chemical reaction causes apples to brown and how can we slow this process  Individual
using our knowledge of acids and bases?  Pairs
 Small group
 Large group
CONTENT TOPICS  Demonstration
This activity covers the following content topics: acids, bases, pH scale, enzymes, chemical
change, chemical reaction, catalysts
Safety Tips & Reminders:
This activity can be extended to discuss: enzyme, protein, amino acids, food preservation  An adult should cut the apple for
students.
 Although household acids and bases
NGSS CONNECTIONS are diluted, they can still pose risks.
This activity can be used to achieve the following Performance Expectations of the Follow proper safety procedures like
Next Generation Science Standards: wearing a lab coat, safety goggles, and
 5-PS1-4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more gloves for protection.
substances results in new substances.  There is no eating or drinking in the
 MS-PS1-2: Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after lab, even when we are working with
the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. normally edible materials.
 Review the Safety First section in the
Resource Guide for additional
information

Fun Fact #1
Will an apple float or sink in water?
(Hint: think of bobbing for apples!)
An apple is actually 25% air by
volume and easily floats in water.

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 Ageless Apples Section CHEMICAL REACTIONS Topic REACTION RATES & CATALYSTS

ENGAGE  EXPLORE

Use the following ideas to engage your

Procedure:
students in learning about chemical
reactions:
1. Using the marker, add one of the following labels to each plastic bag: “lemon juice,”
Start by having students observe fruits “baking soda,” and “water.”
– cut and whole – over time (or show
videos and pictures if you cannot have 2. Pour ¼ cup lemon juice into the bag labeled “lemon juice.”
samples in the room). What do 3. Mix ¼ cup water with 1 tbsp. baking soda in the bag labeled “baking soda.”
students observe happens over time?
Why do they think this might be? Do 4. Pour ¼ cup water into the plastic bag labeled “water.”
they have any ideas about what might
be causing this and how to slow or 5. Have an adult cut an apple into 6-12 evenly-sliced pieces.
stop the process? 6. Place 2-4 apple slices into each bag, seal, and gently shake to ensure the apple slice
Ask students to brainstorm ways in is completely coated in the liquid.
which humans preserve their food. 7. Carefully remove the apple slices from each bag and place them on top of the sealed
What do we add to food to keep it
bag they came out of, or on a labeled plate or bowl.
fresh? How do we store food to keep it
from going bad? Do they know why 8. Observe immediately and check in over the next few hours or day and note any
food goes bad over time? changes between the apple samples.
If you test out the experiment in
advance, start by showing them the
three samples but do not label which
solution they were put in. Can
students guess what happened and
why some samples browned while
DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS 
Analyze and discuss the results of this activity using the following questions:
others did not? Turn this into a “20
Questions” game where students can • At the start of the experiment, describe each liquid being used: water, lemon juice,
only ask questions that can be baking soda solution. What are the physical properties? How are they similar or
answered with “yes” or “no,” and see if different?
they can figure out what you did!
• Draw and label of diagram of an apple slice at the start.
See more ideas for engagement in the
Reaction Rates & Catalysts Background • Make a hypothesis: what effect do you think each of the liquids will have on the
section! You can also look at the apple? Draw what you think each sample will look like tomorrow.
Elaborate section of this activity for
other ideas to engage your students. • Describe and draw any changes you notice between the three samples over time.
This can be every hour, every few hours, or over the course of a few days. What
differences can you observe?
• Do you think this is an example of a chemical or physical change? What is your
Fun Fact #2 evidence?
• Which of the liquids used could help keep apples fresh for longer? Why?
There are over 2,500 varieties of
apples, ranging in size, taste, color,
and appearance. But the only apple
native to the US is the crabapple.

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 Ageless Apples Section CHEMICAL REACTIONS Topic REACTION RATES & CATALYSTS

EXPLAIN Notes 
What’s happening in this Activity? ______________________________________________________
First review the Reaction Rates & Catalysts Background section to gain a deeper understanding
of the scientific principles behind this activity.
______________________________________________________

During a chemical reaction the reactants change into the completely new substances called
______________________________________________________
the products, and bonds between atoms are broken or formed. Chemical reactions occur all
around us—even in our food! Apples that we eat ripen because of chemical reactions. When
______________________________________________________
an apple is cut open and turns brown, that is also because of a chemical reaction.
______________________________________________________
When an apple is cut open, it releases a molecule called polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Once PPO
is released, the apple reacts with oxygen in the air and turns brown. The brown color of the
______________________________________________________
apple is a defense mechanism, meant to make the plant less appealing so it is less likely to
be eaten by other animals.
______________________________________________________

This change in color is due to an oxidation reaction. Oxidation reactions are chemical reaction
______________________________________________________
that involve the transfer of electrons. The brown rust that forms on metal is also the result of
an oxidation reaction (see the Cleaning Pennies activities for more!).
______________________________________________________

PPO is actually a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that changes the rate of a reaction, but
______________________________________________________
is not used up during the reaction. In this case, PPO makes other compounds in the apple
react with oxygen in the air faster, so the apple turns brown faster. PPO itself does not react
______________________________________________________
with anything. PPO is also the enzyme that makes guacamole turn brown over time, and is
found in apples and other plants like mushrooms and lettuce. Catalysts make a reaction
______________________________________________________
happen more quickly by decreasing the activation energy. Activation energy is the amount
of energy needed to start a reaction, or the size of the “energy hill” the reaction has to climb.
______________________________________________________
Since catalysts make it easier for the reaction to occur, it happens more quickly.
______________________________________________________
Enzymes are catalyst in living things that help to speed up biological reactions. In humans,
enzymes help us with things like digesting food, generating energy, and staying healthy. The
______________________________________________________
slowest known biological reaction, which is part of creating our DNA, would like 1 trillion years
without a catalyst. With an enzyme, this reaction happens in just 10 milliseconds!
______________________________________________________

One way to change the rate of a reaction is to add or remove a catalyst. Another way is to
______________________________________________________
change how a catalyst behaves. Whether or not a catalyst is active depends on a number of
conditions, like temperature, acidity, and concentration. One of the reasons enzymes work in
______________________________________________________
our bodies is our temperature. Most enzymes in the human body work best at normal body
temperature (about 98 °F).
______________________________________________________

Another thing that can affect a catalyst is pH. The pH scale measures how acidic or basic
______________________________________________________
something is. What this depends on is the concentration of hydrogen ions, H+. pH can range
from 0 to 14. Acids are substances with a pH less than 7. Bases are substances with a pH
______________________________________________________
greater than 7.
______________________________________________________
Every enzyme has an ideal pH, or balance between acidic and basic, where it works best. PPO
works best when the pH is around 6.5. When the pH drops below 2.5, PPO stops working at
______________________________________________________
all. If the PPO in an apple becomes inactive, the oxidation reaction that turns apples brown
happens much slower (barely at all!).
______________________________________________________
Adding lemon juice to apples deactivates the PPO enzyme in a few ways.
______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

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 Ageless Apples Section CHEMICAL REACTIONS Topic REACTION RATES & CATALYSTS

EXPLAIN continued ELABORATE 

Elaborate on your students’ new ideas and encourage them to apply them to different
situations. The section below provides some alternative methods, modifications, and
Vitamin C: Lemons are a great source of extensions for this activity.
vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid. When
ascorbic acid is on an apple, oxygen in the air • Add another control: keep a few apple slices out and compare with the other
reacts with ascorbic acid before it reacts with samples. Students might see that even dipping the apple in water slowed the
the apple. Instead of the apple being oxidized, browning slightly. Why do they think that is? (Hint: with water covering the sample,
the ascorbic acid is oxidized. But this doesn’t can oxygen reach the fruit as easily?
work forever—once the ascorbic acid has all
reacted, the apple with start to oxidize and • Try this experiment again, but use a variety of acids, bases, and neutral substances,
turn brown. such as vinegar, milk, soda, saltwater, seltzer, orange or cranberry juice, milk of
magnesia, tonic water, and more. Which works the best? Why?
Low pH: Lemons are very acidic because they
contain compounds like citric acid. The pH of
• For students who are learning more about acids and bases, get some pH paper and
measure the pH of each liquid used in the experiment. Graph the pH versus the level
lemon juice is 2.0, which is low enough to
or browning. What is the relation? Now ask students to test the pH of other
make the PPO enzyme inactive. Unlike
unknown liquids and make an informed guess of where it will fall on the graph. Test
ascorbic acid, the acidity doesn’t “run out,” so
it out and see if they are correct!
it prevents browning for longer.
• Students can graph their results and run multiple trials to determine which
Because lemon juice makes the PPO less household preservative works the best. On the y-axis they can create a scale for
active, the apple slices that were in lemon brownness, and on the x-axis they can write what type of treatment they used. With
juice solution will turn brown slower than the a keen eye, close observation, and a stopwatch, they can also graph the time at
apple slices that were in either baking soda which the apple started to brown on the y-axis instead.
solution or water.
• How does storage method affect browning? In this experiment, students learned
Differentiation for Younger that oxygen is what causes the enzymes to react. Can they design a way to store
or More Advanced Students apples that limits the amount of oxygen? Or try the experiment again but keep each
You can differentiate this activity for students trial in a different storage container: out in the open, in a Tupperware, in a clean
of different grade levels by focusing on the plastic bag. Which worked best?
concepts outlined below.
• Does this work for other fruits or vegetables? Students can run the experiment
again with bananas, pears, avocados, potatoes, peaches – whichever other produce
items they can think of that brown like apples.

GETTING STARTED • If you are doing the experiment in the summer or fall in an area where there are
apple orchards, pair this activity with a field trip. Learn about how apples are grown,
For younger students, emphasize the the life cycle, farming, distribution, and the properties of each type of apple. Have
following concepts: students interview the farmers and orchard workers. How do they keep their
• There are different types of chemical produce fresh? What processes and products do they use to grow fresh, delicious
reactions apples? After students return to the classroom, do this experiment as part of a
• Catalysts change the rate of a discussion about how food is produced and ends up in local grocery stores,
chemical reaction without being used restaurants, and in their homes. Why might experiments like these be important for
up the farming industry?
• Enzymes are catalysts in living things
• Do different types of apples brown at different rates? Depending on the type of
apple and the maturity, different levels of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) will be present,
DIVING DEEPER resulting in different levels of browning. Test it out!

For more advanced students, • There are many theories to the evolutionary advantage of browning: perhaps the
emphasize the following concepts: unappealing appearance keeps animals away from damaged fruit on a tree, or
• Catalysts behave differently maybe it is a signal to them that the fruit is rotten and should be avoided. What do
depending on conditions like students think might be the evolutionary advantage to a fruit that can brown when
temperature and pH open or damaged?
• pH measures the concentration of
hydrogen ions, H+, which determines
• Does temperature affect the rate of browning? Try putting one apple in the freezer,
one in the refrigerator, one at room temperature, and one in a warm or sunny spot
whether something is an acid or a
for a few hours. Cut a slice from each and observe. Did they brown at the same
base
rate?

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 Ageless Apples Section CHEMICAL REACTIONS Topic REACTION RATES & CATALYSTS

EVALUATE ◎ CHEMISTRY IN
• Provide groups of students with a mystery sample that is an acid, base, or neutral. ACTION 
Ask them to write a list of the physical properties. If pH paper is available, have
Share the following real-world connections
them test the pH of their sample, or provide the estimated pH to each group.
with your students to demonstrate how
Using what they learned in this experiment, do they think this will be effective in
chemistry is all around us.
preventing browning in an apple? Have them test it out, then make a guess as to
what their mystery liquid could have been. Provide them with a bank of options Real-World Applications
(either samples they can look at and test the pH, or a chart) and guess which
Some grocery stores and fast food
substance they had. They can then explain the evidence for their answer to their locations regularly sell bags of
peers and see if everyone correctly guessed their samples. sliced apples – but how do they
keep them looking and tasting
• Ask students to visit a local grocery store or look at their food at home. What fresh? This is made possible
preservation techniques are applied on produce? You can provide scaffolding with thanks to chemist Attila Pavlath,
various prompts: how are they displayed? Are they in packaging? Do you notice who developed a formula of salts
anything that could have been done to the produce to keep it fresh (i.e. think of and vitamin C (the same acid
found in lemon juice!) that can
the wax on apples!)? When reading labels on prepared or packaged produce, can keep a sliced apple as good as
they find the names of any preservatives? The next day, students can share out new for 21 days!
their findings and make a list of the ways we ensure our food stays fresh and
edible.

• Genetically modified foods – like the non-browning Artic Apple – have caused lots There are a number of methods
of debate in recent years. For older learners, set up a debate using the Artic Apple used to preserve fruit and prevent
as the case study. Students should be assigned one side of the debate (pro- it from rotting. One method
genetically modified foods or against – or add in other stakeholders like perhaps explored in this experiment is
a group that wants to treat conventional fruit with acidic solutions instead), dipping or spraying fruit with an
conduct research and compile evidence for their argument, then hold a debate in acidic solution. Fruit is sometimes
dried to remove moisture, which
class. Encourage students to think about the pros and cons from the point of view preserves its shelf life, or dipped in
of scientists, farmers, grocers, consumers, the government, and more. What did sulfur or honey solutions, which
they learn? Which side was more convincing? What is the role of a scientist in can act as a preservative. Cooking
these types of debates? or blanching – dipping in boiling
water – also destroys the enzyme
that causes fruit to brown, but this
changes the taste and texture it
might not be a desirable option.

Notes 
Careers in Chemistry
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
• Americans waste around 50% of their
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ produce, which equates to around 60
million tons or $160,000,000,000 annually
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (which is around $1,600 per four-person
household)! A big reason for this is that
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ produce that is bruised, browned, or
deemed ‘damaged’ in some way is thrown
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ away – even if it is perfectly edible! This
waste has spurred on a number of
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ careers: commercial composting,
marketing campaigns for ‘ugly fruit,’
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ repurposing slightly damaged produce to
solve food insecurity issues, developing
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ more scientific protocol for determining
accurate expiration dates, and big
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ business in finding safe, efficient, and
effective ways to grow, harvest, package,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ and transport produce around the world.

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