15TH INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

IJSO-2018

Discovery, Innovation and Environment

Laboratory Experiment

– Exam Sheet –

December 8, 2018
Do NOT turn to next page
before a whistle is blown.
Otherwise, you will receive a penalty.

1. You have 10 minutes to read the “EXAMINATION RULES”, “EXPERIMENT

INSTRUCTIONS” and “CALCULATOR INSTRUCTIONS” on pages 1 - 4.

2. Do NOT start answering the questions before the “START” whistle! Otherwise, you
will receive a penalty.
 15th International Junior Science Laboratory Experiment
Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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December 8, 2018 Page 1

EXAMINATON RULES

1. You are NOT allowed to bring any personal items into the examination room, except for
personal medicine or approved personal medical equipment.

2. You must sit at your designated table.

3. Check the stationery items (pen, pencil, calculator, ruler, and scrap paper) provided by
the organizers.

4. Do NOT start your experiments before the “START” signal.

5. You are NOT allowed to leave the examination room during the experiment, except in
an emergency in which case you will be accompanied by a
supervisor/volunteer/invigilator.

6. Do NOT disturb other competitors. If you need assistance, raise your hand and wait for
a supervisor to come.

7. You can ONLY ask questions and discuss the experiments with your own team members.
You must STAY at your table until the end of the time allocated for the experiments,
even if you have finished the experiments or do not wish to continue.

8. At the end of the experiment time you will hear the “STOP” signal. Do NOT write
anything more on the answer sheet after this stop signal. Arrange the exam, answer
sheets, and the stationary items (pen, calculator, ruler, and scrap paper) neatly on your
desk. Do NOT leave the room before all the answer sheets have been collected.

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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EXPERIMENT INSTRUCTIONS

1. After the “START” signal, you will have 15 minutes to read the experiments. In this time, it
is NOT allowed to conduct the experiment yet, or answer the questions.

2. After the first 15 minutes, another whistleblow will indicate that you can start the experiment
and start answering questions. From this moment you have three hours to
complete the test.

3. Use only the pen and pencil provided by the organizers.

4. The total number of experiments is 3. Check if you have a complete set of the exam sheets
(19 pages, page 4 – page 19) and answer sheets (23 pages - including the front page). Raise
your hand, if you find any sheets missing.

5. Check that your name, code and country are filled in on your answer sheets and sign every
page of the answer sheets. Raise your hand, if you find any sheets missing.

6. Read the experimental procedures and questions carefully and write your answers in the
corresponding boxes of the answer sheets.

7. When units are provided in the answer sheets, you have to write the answers correctly for the
units.

8. Always show your calculations if room for this is provided. If you do not show your
calculations, no points are awarded for the question.

9. You should write your final answers down in the appropriate number of digits.

10. You MUST wear a Lab Coat and Safety Glasses during the experiments.

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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CALCULATOR INSTRUCTIONS

1. Turning on: Press .

2. Turning off: Press .

3. Clearing data: Press .

4. Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
285
Example 1) 45 + 3

45 285 3 140.
18+6
Example 2) 15−8

18 6 15 8
3.428571429
Example 3) 42 × (−5) + 120

42 5 120 -90.

42 5 120 -90.
5. Exponential

Example 1) 8.6−2

8.6 2 0.013520822

Example 2) 6.1 × 1023

6.1 10 23 6.1 x 1023

6. To delete a number/function, move the cursor to the number/function you wish to delete, then
press . If the cursor is located at the right end of a number/function, the key will
function as a back space key.

Do NOT turn to next page

Before the “START” whistle is blown.
Otherwise, you will receive a penalty.

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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INTRODUCTION

The population of the earth has grown rapidly over the past decades. To address the demand of
a sustainable source of food, plant-based nutrition is gaining importance. To further facilitate
this development, modern food engineering focuses on enhancing the properties of plant
products, besides nutritional value alone. Extracted plant oils can be used as emulsifiers or a
more sustainable energy source; isolated plant pigments offer natural food coloring options or
a basis for diverse technological products such as solar panels; plant organic acids can be used
as natural preservatives to extend the shelf life of food products or influence the digestion of
carbohydrates. Such developments aim to diminish the dependence on fossil resources and rare
earths.

This experiment lets you explore the properties of several plant extracts directly.

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BIOLOGY LABORATORY PRACTICAL

Total points [13.4 points]

Experiment I: Using thin layer chromatography technique to identify plant compounds

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) is a technique used to identify compounds contained within

biological extracts (e.g. plant extracts from steam distillation). As in other chromatographic
methods, TLC is based on the principle of differential separation of compounds within a mixture.
However, unlike other chromatographic methods, TLC is a simple, relatively cheap, highly
sensitive and has a short development time.

The TLC system consists of different components such as TLC plates, chamber and mobile
phase. TLC plates are usually ready-made and are coated with a thin layer of a stationary phase.
The stationary phase of the plates is applied uniformly (uniform thickness throughout the plate).
The TLC plates are developed in a TLC chamber, which contains the mobile phase. The mobile
phase is made of a solvent (or mixture of solvents) which is chemically inert with the sample
and is of high purity. It helps to separate compounds as they move up the TLC plate. Upon
completion of the vertical separation of different compounds (which will appear as spots), each
compound/spot will have a retention factor (also known as retardation factor) Rf value. The Rf
value is calculated using the following formula:

Rf = (distance travelled by compound) / (distance travelled by mobile phase)

Since Rf values are unique for each compound, they can be used to identify different compounds.
Within plant extracts, TLC can separate and help indicate presence of different compounds such
as plant pigments and secondary metabolites. These compounds occur naturally in plants and
are often found as a mixture within plant extracts. However, they each have unique Rf values
which can help to identify them within the mixture.

Solutions A-D (provided to you) are made of different plant extracts.

Using the TLC technique and protocol below identify compounds found in each of the
solutions A-D.

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Materials provided

1. One TLC plate

2. Pencil
3. 10 μL capillary tubes (four tubes, in a Petri dish)
4. Four solutions (A-D)
5. TLC chamber (jar) and lid, containing mobile phase (cyclohexane: petroleum ether:
ethyl acetate: acetone: methanol in a ratio of 16:60:10:10:4)
6. Ruler
7. Latex gloves
8. Paper towel

Procedure

Notes:

 Only a single TLC plate is provided per team. Prepare and use your plate with utmost
care, following the procedure outlined below
 The black mark on the capillary tube denotes the 10 μL mark
 Use only pencil when drawing or writing on a TLC plate
 Wear gloves when handling TLC plates
 When opening and closing the TLC chamber, avoid inhaling vapors from the
chamber

1. Place the chromatography plate on a clean surface (paper towel). Draw two straight lines
across the TLC plate, 1.5 cm from one end (the bottom) and 1 cm at the other end (the
top). Without putting the plate into the TLC chamber, check that it will fit in the chamber.
2. On the line at the bottom, make 4 spots 1 cm apart from each other (the first and last
spots should be 0.75 cm away from the edge of the TLC plate). Label each spot A-D.
3. Use a capillary tube to load about 5 μl of sample A on the pencil spot marked A. The
sample should be placed drop by drop. Allow each drop to dry before loading another.
Make sure the sample does not spread to make a circle over a diameter of 0.75 cm.
Repeat for samples B-D. See Figure 1 for example of TLC plate. Note, if the capillary
tube breaks, immediately request a replacement one.

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Figure 1: Example of a TLC plate with sample spots

4. Once done, carefully place the TLC plate in the jar containing the mobile phase (spotted
side facing you).
5. Close the chamber tightly with the lid and watch the mobile phase move up your TLC
plate.
6. When the mobile phase reaches the top pencil line that you marked remove the TLC
plate, place it on the paper towel and allow it to dry.
7. Use your TLC plate and the information provided in Table 1 to answer the questions
that follow.
8. Get the invigilator to take a photograph of your original TLC plate and to sign your
answer sheet (this can be done at any time during the experiment)

Table 1: Plant pigments and their Rf values, determined using the above procedure
Plant pigment Rf value
i) Xanthophyll 2 0.15
ii) Xanthophyll 1 0.28
iii) Rutin 0.34
iv) Chlorophyll b 0.42
v) Gallic acid 0.54
vi) Chlorophyll a 0.59
vii) Pheophytin 0.81
viii) Carotene 0.98

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Questions

DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR FINAL ANSWERS HERE. USE THE ANSWER SHEET

I-1. [7.15 points] In your answer sheet, draw a sketch of all the spots observed in lanes A-
D on your TLC plate, and complete the table with Rf values and proposed pigments
(Roman numeral from Table 1, one per spot) Note that not all pigments in your sample
are present in Table 1.
Get your invigilator to take a photograph of your original TLC plate and sign your
answer sheet.

I-2. [1.0 point, 0.25 per statement] For the following observations about the sample in lane
D, mark in your answer sheet whether the following statements are true or false.
Statement True False
It separated into distinct pigments, which are not present
in other lanes.
It separated into distinct pigments, which are also present
in other lanes.
It did not move with mobile phase.
It does not contain any pigments

I-3. [1.0 point, 0.25 per statement] For the following statements, mark in your answer sheet
whether the following statements are true or false
The TLC chamber (bottle) is closed to…

Statement True False

prevent evaporation of the mobile phase.
avoid the smell of the chemicals contained in the mobile
phase.
maintain a dust-free environment.
decrease the pressure in the chamber.

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I-4. [1.75 points, 0.25 per statement] Indicate in your answer sheet, whether each of the
factors below affect the Rf value of a compound
Factor Affects Rf Does not affect Rf
Polarity of compound
Distance travelled by solvent (mobile phase)
Size of TLC plate
Type of stationary phase
Amount of sample loaded
Size of chamber
Color of the sample

I-5. [0.25 points] Write the letter that corresponds to the pigment that moves slowest up the
TLC plate in the box on your answer sheet.

A. Chlorophyll a
B. Xanthophyll 1
C. Pheophytin
D. Chlorophyll b

I-6. [1.0 point, 0.25 per statement] For the following statements, mark in your answer sheet
whether the statements are correct or incorrect.

A compound moves slower than others up a TLC plate in our experimental conditions
because…
Statement Correct Incorrect
It is less polar than the other compounds
It is a more hydrophilic compound
It has a larger molecular weight
It is more concentrated than the other compounds

I-7. [0.25 points] Will the Rf values change if the ratio of polar and non-polar solvents in the
mobile phase is changed? Write the letter that corresponds to your answer in the box on
your answer sheet.

A. Yes
B. No

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I-8. [1.0 point, 0.25 per statement] Indicate in your answer sheet, whether each of the
factors could potentially limit the effectiveness of the chromatographic technique you
have used.
Factor Limits Does not limit
effectiveness effectiveness
Leaving the TLC chamber open
The amount of mobile phase in the TLC chamber
Geographical location where the experiment is
performed
Running multiple plates in one TLC chamber

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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CHEMISTRY LABORATORY PRACTICAL

Total points [13.3 points]

Experiment II: Determination of acid content in a fruit acid solution

The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the acid concentration and properties of the
fruit acid. The active ingredient in the fruit solution is a weak acid, which can be titrated with a
base in an acid-base neutralization reaction. The abbreviation for the fruit acid is HA. The
sodium hydroxide solution will neutralize the fruit acid, HA, which is monoprotic. HA has the
molecular mass of 60g/mol. Before you determine the concentration of the fruit acid solution
you need to standardize the sodium hydroxide solution using oxalic acid of a known
concentration (0.100 mol/L). Note that Oxalic acid is a diprotic acid and may be represented as
H2X.

Figure II-1: A diagram showing the set-up for titration.

Key: 1. Burette, 2. Conical flask, 3. Clamp 4. Stand

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Materials provided

1. 10 mL graduated pipette (x 2)
2. Glass funnel
3. Pipette filler
4. 3 x Beakers
5. White ceramic tile
6. 100 mL graduated measuring cylinder
7. Phenolphthalein indicator in a bottle, with dropper
8. Paper towel
9. Distilled water bottle

Procedure

Standardization of the NaOH

III-1. Using a 10 mL pipette place 10.0 mL of 0.100 mol/L oxalic acid solution into the 250-
mL conical flask.
III-2. Add 2 to 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator.
III-3. Titrate to the end point with the NaOH solution.
III-4. Repeat this process (Steps 1-3), until your results are coherent.

Titration of fruit acid solution

III-5. Using a graduated pipette place 4.0 mL of the fruit acid solution into the 250-mL
conical flask.
III-6. Add about 50 mL of distilled water into the same 250 mL conical flask.
III-7. Add 2 to 3 drops phenolphthalein indicator.
III-8. Titrate to the end point with the standardized NaOH solution.
III-9. Repeat this process (Steps 5-8), until your results are coherent.

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
University of Botswana Points : 40
December 8, 2018 Page 13

Questions

DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR FINAL ANSWERS HERE USE THE ANSWER SHEET

Standardization of the NaOH

II-1a. [3.5 points] In your answer sheet, record the volume of NaOH (mL) solution used in the
standardization

Record the volume of NaOH (mL) solution used in the standardization

Titration #1 Titration #2 Titration …. Titration …..

Initial Vol. ……….. ……..….. .………. …….….

End Vol. ………. ………… ….……. ………

Vol. Used ………… …………. ………. ………

Average NaOH volume used……………………………..………………mL

II-1b. [0.25 points] Write down a balanced chemical equation for the titration reaction of oxalic
acid (H2X) with NaOH

II-1c. [0.5 points] Calculate the concentration of the NaOH solution

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Olympiad Time : 3 hr
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Titration of fruit acid solution

II-2. [3.5 points] In your answer sheet, record the volume of NaOH (mL) solution used

Record the volume of NaOH (mL) solution used

Titration #1 Titration #2 Titration …. Titration …..

Initial Vol. ……….. ……..….. .………. …….….

End Vol. ………. ………… ….……. ………

Vol. Used ………… …………. ………. ………

Average NaOH volume used……………………………..………………mL

II-3. [0.25 points] Write down the balanced equation for the titration reaction between fruit
acid (HA) and NaOH

II-4. [0.5 points] Determine the number of moles of NaOH used in the titration.

II-5. [1.0 point] Determine the mass (g) of acid in the fruit acid solution titrated with NaOH
solution

II-6. [0.5 points] Assuming the density of fruit acid solution is 1.005 g/mL, determine the
mass (g) of 4 mL solution.

II-7. [0.5 points] Determine the % mass of the acid in fruit acid solution

II-8. [1.0 point] A student used a different NaOH solution and required 25 mL of 0.54 mol/L
NaOH to neutralize a sample of the same fruit acid solution. Calculate the volume of the fruit
acid solution that the student used?

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II-9. [0.5 points] Another student has measured the pH of the fruit acid solution to be 2.75. Use
this value and your data to determine the pKa of the fruit acid solution.

II-10a. [0.5 points] Calculate the Kb of the conjugate base of the fruit acid solution

II-10b. [0.5 points] Calculate the pH at the end point, assuming that the final volume of the
solution is 100 mL. Use the Kb from the previous question

II-11. [0.3 points] If phenolphthalein was unavailable, which of the following indicators would
be most suitable for this titration.

In your answer sheet, mark the correct box with an “X”

Indicator pKa
Methyl violet 0.8
Thymol blue 1.6
Methyl yellow 3.3
Bromocresol green 4.7
Thymol Blue 8.9

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PHYSICS LABORATORY PRACTICAL

Total points [13.3 points]

Experiment III: Determination of the coefficient of viscosity of oil

While water can be poured from one container to another easily, honey takes a very long time
to flow out of its container. The reason for these different rates of flow is that honey is more
viscous and resists flow more than water does. The coefficient of viscosity is a measure of the
degree of internal resistance to flow and shear. Coefficient of viscosity is an important
parameter in the food industry. Flow of various components of the raw materials to the final
product in an automated food industry will depend on this.

The viscosity of a fluid can be determined by measuring the velocity of a falling sphere through
a column of fluid of unknown viscosity. This is accomplished by dropping a sphere through a
measured distance in a column of fluid and measuring how long it takes to travel the distance.

Materials provided
1. Thermometer
2. Balls of 4 different diameters
3. Cylindrical vertical tube filled with oil
4. Stopwatch
5. Meter ruler
6. Tape to mark
7. Paper towel
8. Magnet

Theoretical aspects
Consider a spherical ball bearing of radius 𝑟 and density 𝜌𝑠 falling through a column of fluid
of coefficient of viscosity  and density 𝜌𝑓 as illustrated in Figure 1 below.

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Figure 1: Showing a spherical ball of radius r falling through a column of fluid of density 𝜌𝑓 .
A and B marks the distance travelled by the sphere at terminal velocity 𝑣𝑡 .

Initially the ball has some downward acceleration 𝑎 until the ball acquires a constant velocity,
called terminal velocity 𝑣𝑡 . According to Newton’s second law:

Net Force = 𝑚𝑎

𝑚𝑎 = 𝑊 − (𝐹𝑢 + 𝐹𝑣 ) (1)

Where:
𝑚 is the mass of the ball.
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔 is the weight of the ball.
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𝐹𝑢 = 𝜋𝑟 3 𝜌𝑓 𝑔 is the buoyant force = weight of the fluid displaced (Archimedes law)
3
𝐹𝑣 = 6𝜋 𝜂 𝑟 𝑣 is the viscous force (of a sphere of radius r) proportional to the velocity
𝑣 of the ball (Stokes’s Law).

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Secondly when the ball attains terminal velocity before point A, there is no more acceleration
and hence the net force is zero. Note that 𝒍 is the distance between A and B and t is the time
the ball takes to fall between A and B.

Procedure [1.3 points]

1. Measure the temperature Tb of the oil before starting the experiment and write it in the
box on the answer sheet.
2. Use the tape to mark two horizontal lines (A and B) on the cylindrical tube so that line
A is 70 cm from the surface of the fluid. Line B should be approximately 50 cm below
line A.
3. Measure the vertical distance l between lines A and B and write it in the box on the
answer sheet provided.
4. Devise a method to measure the average diameter of the balls of the same size using the
ruler scale as accurately as possible. Describe your method using only a sketch in the
space provided.
5. Use your method to measure the average diameter of each of the four different sizes of
balls and write these values in Table III-1 on the answer sheet.
6. Release one of the balls carefully into the fluid at the center of the surface (ensuring that
the ball is not near the wall of the cylinder during its motion between A and B)
7. Measure the time t taken by the ball to travel the distance l between A and B and record
it in the provided table.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 above using other balls of the same diameter to have three values
of time (the magnet can be used to pull the balls along the cylinder wall out of the oil,
ask for help if necessary).
9. Repeat steps 6 to 8 for the other 3 sizes of balls.
10. Measure the temperature 𝑇𝑎 of the oil just after finishing the experiment and write it in
the box on the answer sheet.

Note the following constants:

Density of the fluid 𝜌𝑓 = 871.4 kg/m3

Density of the ball 𝜌𝑠 = 7717 kg/m3
Acceleration due to gravity 𝑔 = 9.81 m/s²

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Questions (results and analysis)

DO NOT PROVIDE YOUR FINAL ANSWERS HERE USE THE ANSWER SHEET

III-1. [5.0 points] Calculate the average time, 𝑑 2 and 𝑣𝑡 for each set of ball bearings, and
complete Table III-1 on the answer sheet.
Table III-1: Experimental results
Diameter Terminal
Ball diameter Time taken to fall distance 𝒍
squared velocity
Average
# 𝒅 (mm) 𝒅 (m) 𝒅𝟐 (m²) 𝒕𝟏 (s) 𝒕𝟐 (s) 𝒕𝟑 (s) 𝒗𝒕 (m/s)
time (s)
1

III-2. [3.0 points] Plot a graph of 𝑣𝑡 (𝑦-axis) versus 𝑑 2 (𝑥-axis) and draw a straight line of
best fit on the grid on the answer sheet.

III-3. [1.5 points] Determine the slope of the graph. Indicate the points that are used on the
graph for calculating the slope. Give your answer with appropriate units.

III-4. [1.0 points] The following formula for the terminal velocity 𝑣𝑡 can be derived from
equation (1):
𝑑2
𝑣𝑡 = 𝐶 ∙ (2)
𝜂

Where 𝐶 = 3731 kg m-2s-2.

Write down in the space provided the analytical expression for 𝐶 in terms of 𝑔, 𝜌𝑠 and
𝜌𝑓 .

III-5. [1.5 points] Use the value of the slope to determine the coefficient of viscosity 𝜂 of
the oil with the appropriate units.

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