YEAR: 2023-2024

CHEMISTRY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

DETERMINATION OF CAFFEINE CONTENT IN TEA
SAMPLES

DONE BY: ANAGHA PANICKER

CLASS : 11 B
ROLL NO: 08
SUBMITTED TO: MRS. SHAYEESTA MUBARAK
 CERTIFICATE
Name: Anagha Panicker Class: 11-B
Roll number: 08

This is to certify that Determination of Caffeine in tea

different tea samples is a bonafide work of Anagha Panicker
in the subject of Chemistry during the academic year 2023-
2024.

_________________________ ____________________
Examiner Signature Internal

___________________
Principal

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I sincerely express my gratitude to our Principal SUNITHA

PANCHANATHAN who pushed us forward and provided us with
all the facilities which were required to make this project a grand
success.
I would also like to express my deep regards and gratitude to my
Chemistry teacher, Mrs. SHAYEESTA MUBARAK and Lab Assistant
Mrs. J.SUGANYA under whose guidance and supervision I am able to
undertake this project. It is her who has been my primary source of
inspiration and who motivated, guided and encouraged me at different
stages of this project.
I would also like to thank my family and friends who have assisted me
at different stages of this project and by also providing all the
requirements for completing this project.

THANK YOU
 INDEX

S No. Title Page no.

1. Introduction 1
2. Theory 2
3. Aim 3
4. Material Required 4
5. Procedure 5
6. Observation 6
7. Result 7
8. Effect of caffeine on our body 8
8. Experimental evidence 9
9. Precautions 14
10. Conclusion 14
11. Bibliography 15
 INTRODUCTION
Tea is the most commonly and widely used soft beverage in the household. It
acts as a stimulant for central nervous system and skeletal muscles. That is why
tea removes fatigue, tiredness and
headache. It also increases the
capacity of thinking. It is also used
for lowering body temperature.
The principal constituent of tea,
which is responsible for all these
properties, is the alkaloid-caffeine.
The amount of caffeine in tea
leavers varies from sample to
sample. Originally it was thought
that caffeine is responsible
for the taste and flavor of tea. But pure caffeine has been found to be a tasteless
while substance.
Therefore, the taste and flavor of tea is due to some other substance present in it.
There is a little doubt that the popularity of the xanthenes beverages depends on
their stimulant action, although most people are unaware of any stimulation. The
degree to which an
Individual is stimulated by given amount of caffeine varies from individual to
individual. For example, some people boast their ability to drink several cups of
coffee in evening and yet sleep like a long, on the other hands there are people
who are so sensitive to caffeine that even a single cup of coffee will cause a
response boarding on the toxic. The xanthenes beverages also create a medical
problem. They are dietary of a stimulant of the CNS. Often the physicians face
the question whether to deny caffeine containing beverages to patients or not.
In fact children are more susceptible than adults to excitation by xanthenes. For
this reason, tea and coffee should be excluded from their diet. Even cocoa is of
doubtful value. It has a high tannin content may be as high as 50 mg per cup.

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 THEORY
The most important mentholated alkaloid that occurs naturally is caffeine. Its
molecular formula is
C8H10N4O2.
Its IUPAC name is 1, 3, 7-trimethylxanthene
and common name is 1-methylated thiobromine.
Purely it is white, crystalline solid in the form of needles. Its melting point is 123ºc. It is
the main active principle component of tea leaves. It is present in tea leaves up to 4% and
can be extracted by first boiling the tea leaves with water which dissolves many glycoside
compounds in addition to caffeine. The clear solution is then treated with lead sulphate to
precipitate the glycoside compounds in the form of lead complex. The clear filtrate is then
extracted with extracts caffeine because it is more soluble in it then water.

Structure of caffeine:

Structure of Xanthine:

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 AIM
“DETERMINATION OF CAFFEINE CONTENT IN TEA
SAMPLES”
S NO TEA SAMPLES NAME OF
SAMPLE

Tetley
1 Tea

2 Natural
Tea

3 Red label
Tea

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 MATERIAL REQUIRED

1. Tea samples ( Tetley tea,

Natural tea,
Broke bond Red label )
2. Bunsen burner
3. Beakers (200ml)
4. Calcium carbonate
5. Sulphuric acid
6. Filter paper
7. Funnel
8. Conical flask (200ml)
9. Water
10. Glass rod
11. Tongs

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 PROCEDURE
1. First of all, take 5 grams of tea leaves as sample and add 50 ml of
distilled water in a 200ml beaker.
2. Boil the tea sample for 10 minutes and let it cool down & filter.
3. To filtrate add 2g of solid calcium carbonate and boil the contents.
Tannic acid gets precipitated as calcium tannate. Separate the
precipitate of calcium tannate by filtration.
4. Now add about 1ml of dil. H2SO4.
5. Take 60ml of the sample and heat it for 5minutes.
6. The residue left behind is caffeine.
7. Weigh the residue left behind.
8. Similarly, determine the amount of caffeine in other samples of
tea.
9. Record your observation.

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 OBSERVATION
Weight of Tetley tea taken before experiment = 5gm
Weight of Natural tea taken before experiment = 5gm
Weight of Red label taken before experiment = 5gm

TABULATIONS:

S no. Brand of Weight of Weight of caffeine % of caffeine

tea sample leaves taken obtained = y/x * 100
(x g) (y g)
1 Tetley tea 5gm 0.08 1.6%

2 Natural 5gm 0.07 1.4%

tea
3 Red label 5gm 0.09 1.8%

CALCULATIONS:
SAMPLE 1

= 1.6%

SAMPLE 2

1.4%

SAMPLE 3

1.8%

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 RESULT
Tea sample having caffeine content:

1. Higher percentage of caffeine Red label Tea

2. Lower content of caffeine Natural tea
3. At the middle content of caffeine Tetley tea

RESULT ANALISIS:
GRAPH OF CAFFEINE CONTENT:

2.0%

1.8%

1.6%

1.4%

1.2%
TETLEY TEA
1.0%
NATURAL TEA
0.8% RED LABEL
0.6%

0.4%

0.2%

0.0%
….

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 EFFECTS OF CAFFEINE IN OUR BODY
Positive effects:
a) It increases mental alertness.
b) Rise in body temperature.
c) It also increases the circulation of chemicals such as cortisol and
adrenaline in the body.
d) In small doses, caffeine can make you feel refreshed and focused.

Negative effects:
a) Increased breathing
and heart rate.
b) A rise in body temperature
c) Frequent urination
d) Dehydration
e) Dizziness and headaches
f) Rapid heartbeat
(palpitations)
g) Restlessness and excitability
h) Anxiety and irritability
i) Trembling hands
j) Sleeplessness
Approximate caffeine levels per serve include:
 Chocolate drinks: 5–10mg per 250ml
 Instant coffee: 80–120mg per 250ml
 Espresso coffees such as espresso or latte: 105–110mg per 250ml
 Decaffeinated coffee: 2–6mg per 250ml
 Black tea: 65–105mg per 250ml
 Cola drinks: 40–49mg per 375ml
 Energy drink: 160mg per 250ml
 Dark chocolate bar: 40-50mg per 55g serve
 Milk chocolate bar – 10mg per 50g serve
 Caffeine tablets such as no-doz – 100mg per tablet.

Page 8
EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE

MEASURE OF TEA SAMPLES

Page 9
Adding 50ml water in 200ml beaker Boil the contents for 10min

Filter the tea sample

Page 10
CALCIUM CARBONATE (2g) MEASURE PHOTO

Boil with calcium carbonate Filter the content

Page 11
Heating the content after adding 1ml Sulphuric acid (60ml)

Page 12
 AFTER FILTERING:

TETLEY TEA

NATURAL TEA RED LABEL TEA

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 PRECAUTIONS
1. Do not smell chloroform.
2. While filtering make sure you should not over fill ,
3. Stir the solution while boiling.
4. Handle lab material with care.
5. Be carefully when doing steam bath.

CONCLUSION
1) Tea is made from the young leaves and buds of the tea plant. Tea
leaves are rich in caffeine. Besides caffeine, tea leaves contain
tannic acid and coloring matter, such as polyphenolic compound.
2) The relative amounts of these substances are different in different
varieties of tea leaves, that is why as the their taste and flavor are
different.

3) The brownish color of the tea is due to the presence of

polyphenolic compounds and some inorganic ions like Mn2+, Fe3+
etc. Some simple experiments can be carried out to study the
components that are responsible for the variation in tea flavor in
various brands of tea.

Page 14
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS:
 Comprehensive practical chemistry class 11 ( Laxmi
publication)
 NCERT Chemistry lab manual class 11
 Arihant Lab manual Chemistry class 11
Author: Neetu Gaikward
Publisher: Arihant publications
 Together with chemistry lab manual class 11
Publisher : Rachna Sagar

LINKS:
 https://www.seminarsonly.com/Engineering-
Projects/Chemistry/Determination-Of-Caffeine-In-Tea-
Samples.php
 https://www.icbse.com/projects/chemistry-project-to-
determine-the-caffeine-in-tea-samples-l8e
 https://www.scribd.com/document/435753479/Chemistry-
Project
 https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-
1315/330/4/042056

THANK YOU

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