Experiment 1: Detection of sugar, starch and protein
Students receive five samples, labelled A to E, which contain starch, protein (bovine serum albumin), the monosaccharide glucose, or the disaccharides lactose or sucrose. All solutions are at a concentration of 0.1% in water. You could also test samples of colourless glucose-containing energy drinks (e.g. Powerade®-Lemon). Using different reagent solutions, students should determine which of the five samples contain sugar, starch or protein.
For a class of 30 students working in pairs, you will need the following solutions: