Learn: Core Practical 2 - Vitamin C in Food and Drink

Welcome!Building on your knowledge of proteins and enzymes, this lesson explores how to measure the vitamin C content in food and drinks using a titration method. This is Core Practical 2, where you'll apply important experimental techniques.

Why Measure Vitamin C?Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for maintaining healthy skin, blood vessels, and overall immunity. Measuring its content in food and drinks helps understand dietary intake and product quality.

Titration OverviewTitration is a method used to find the concentration of a substance in a solution. In this practical, you'll use DCPIP (a dye) to determine the vitamin C concentration. When added, vitamin C reacts with DCPIP, causing the colour to change.

Step-by-Step MethodTo measure vitamin C concentration:Prepare a solution of DCPIP in a beaker.Use a pipette to add drops of the vitamin C solution until the DCPIP turns colourless.Record the volume of vitamin C solution used.The more vitamin C needed, the higher the concentration.

Why Use DCPIP?DCPIP acts as an indicator because it changes colour when reduced by vitamin C. This makes it a simple and effective way to measure vitamin C levels.

Calculating ConcentrationTo calculate concentration, compare the volume of vitamin C solution used against a standard solution with a known concentration. This allows you to determine the unknown concentration using proportions.

Review Time!Well done! You've learned about measuring vitamin C concentration using titration. Let's test your understanding of the key concepts.