The
Rubber Chicken
- Bone
cells surround themselves with a matrix of protein that holds salt
crystals. These crystals make bone strong and rigid.
- Salts
are molecules made up of positive and negative ions.
- Salts
in our bodies are made from minerals we obtain from our diet.
How is the chicken
bone that was kept in vinegar different from a normal chicken bone?
What did the vinegar
(acetic acid in water) do to the bone? What was left of the bone after
it was soaked in the vinegar?
We can perform a
flame test and a precipitate test to see what minerals came out of the
bone.
Flame test
| Metal
|
Flame
color |
lithium
(Li)
calcium (Ca)
potassium (K) |
|
| "Unknown"
|
Flame
color |
Mineral
from bone in vinegar |
lithium
(Li)
calcium (Ca)
potassium (K) |
|
|
Precipitate
Test
Does
a precipitate (solid) come out of solution when you add oxalate or magnesia
mix? If so, what color is it?
| solution
|
Result
after oxalate |
Result
after adding magnesia mix |
| plain
vinegar (negative control) |
|
|
| vinegar
containing bone salts |
|
|
| potassium
phosphate: K3PO4 |
|
|
| copper
sulfate: CuSO4 |
|
|
| calcium
nitrate: Ca(NO3)2 |
|
|
| potassium
nitrate:KNO3
|
|
|
What ions came out
of the bone?
What foods are good
sources for these minerals that give bone its strength?
|
