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This week's LabZone activity
Nov. 9, 2005
Iron in Cereal
How many flakes can you pump? Remove real particles of iron from cereal and learn about hemoglobin, food digestion, human physiology, and diet.
Description:
A small magnet is used to remove particles of iron from common breakfast cereal.
You Will Need:
- Total® brand cereal or other high iron content breakfast cereal
- mixing bowl
- plastic or glass rod
- large spoon
- magnets
- Ziploc® bags (optional)
Instructions:
Place the entire contents of a box of flakes into a large bowl. Use your hands to crush the flakes to pinhead-size pieces. Add water and stir. Use additional water to keep the mixture thin and soupy. Tape a small magnet on the end of the glass rod. Stir the cereal soup with the magnet for several minutes. Small bits of pure iron will collect on the magnet!
A variation of this activity is to mix the cereal and water in a sealed plastic bag. A large magnet is pressed to the outer surface of the bag. Particles of iron will collect inside the bag, near the magnet.
Content:
The iron in the cereal is pure iron! Really! It is the same iron found in nails and automobiles. It is mixed in the cereal batter along with many other additives. The very tiny particles of iron quickly react with hydrochloric acid and other chemicals in the digestive tract, changing to a form easily absorbed by the body.
Teacher's Notes
Activity excerpted by permission of the Chemical Educational Foundation (www.chemed.org) from You Be The Chemist. For additional information about these activities and lesson plans, see www.chemed.org/Kit.html.
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