Problem Statement

Ava received a hand full of bananas from her mother. She placed them next to her ripe bananas only to
realize that in a few days they began to ripen. Plan and design an experiment to determine the effect of
ethylene on green bananas.

Hypothesis

Ripe bananas produce and release ethylene (C2H4) which causes further ripening in the same and
neighboring fruit. The green banana that is placed beside the ethylene source – which is the ripe banana
– (green banana sample 1) will ripen faster than the green banana without the ethylene source present
(green banana sample 2)

Aim

To determine the effect of ethylene on the speed of fruit ripening.

Apparatus and Materials

Green banana samples 1, 2 and initial, iodine solution, benedict’s reagent, Bunsen burner, test tubes,
distilled water, closed system (zip lock bag), scalpel, ruler, HCL, NaOH, ethylene source (ripe banana).

Procedure

1. Take a finger of green banana and label it green banana initial.

2. Label 2 other fingers of green banana, Green banana sample 1 and 2 respectively.
3. Cut 2, 3x5 cm strips from green banana initial sample.
4. To each strip of the green banana initial samples crush and place in a boiling tube containing
warm distilled water and stir for 2 min.
5. To approximately 1ml of the solution in a test tube add 2 drops of iodine. Record all
observations.
6. To another 1ml of the solution in another test tube add 2ml of HCL and leave for 2 min. Add
NaOH until effervescence is complete.
7. Add 3ml of the Benedict's reagent to the test tube. Shake and heat for a few min and record all
observable change.
8. Place green banana sample 1 along with the ethylene source in a closed system. Place green
banana sample 2 in another closed system without an ethylene source.
9. Leave both closed systems in a dark room for 96 hrs.
10. Remove both green banana samples from their respective closed systems and record all
observations.
11. Repeat steps 3-7 using both green banana samples 1 and 2.
12. Place all observations in a suitable table.
Variables

Controlled – Green banana sample species, closed-dark systems/ environment, values used in Iodine
and benedict's tests, Amount of time green banana samples were placed in closed system (96 hrs),
length of the tested green banana samples.

Manipulated – Presence of ethylene source.

Responding – Rate of banana ripening, conc. of starch and reducing sugars present in the green banana
samples after the 96hrs.

Expected Results

Green Banana Initial Green Banana Sample Green Banana Sample

Sample 1 2
Visual observation/ N/a
Physical change after
96 hrs
Iodine/ Fehling's Test
Benedict's Test
TABLE SHOWING RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED DURING THE ETHYLENE EXPERIMENT

It is expected that green banana sample 1 will be more yellow and softer than green banana sample 2
after the 92 hours have passed. It is also expected that when the iodine test is performed on green
banana initial sample, it will obtain a very dark blue black stain, with green banana sample 1 having little
to no stain present along with green banana sample 2 having a darker blue black stain than green
banana sample 1 but less than green banana initial sample. It is also to be expected that when the
Benedict's test is performed green banana initial sample there will be little to no change to a brick red
solution with green banana sample 1 obtaining the darkest brick red colour change and green banana
sample 2 will have a light brick red colour change.

Interpretation