Day 1 -- Milk, Food coloring, and Fats (A Belated Post)

I understand this post is very late, but it was best to get it in anyway. Even before Day 1, classes were quite eventful. But I'll try my best to stay on track and keep up with the class. 

--

John and I were paired for a lab analysis experiment on the 22nd. 

Objective: We were challenged to find why the milk reacts to the soap the way it does.

Procedure: (Every test was repeated to solidify results.) Our thought process caused us to lean towards fat content as a factor. Therefore, the first test involved milk with different fat contents. 

• Test 2% (10ml) and 4% milk (10ml) with food coloring and the same soap. (Soap drop constant- tip of toothpick)

Results 1:  Both types of milk reacted in similar manners, but the 4% milk (containing a higher percentage of fat) reacted much more quickly.

The process then was to find if the milk was the cause for the reaction, and not the fat contained within. 

• Test coffee (10ml) with a mixture of coffee (8ml) and 4% milk (2ml). The food coloring and soap remain consistent.

Results 2: The coffee produces the opposite reaction. While milk seemed to instantly repel the food coloring and soap, the coffee caused the food coloring to collect around the soap. The milk combined with the coffee produced an extraordinary effect: some of the food coloring was attracted and some repelled. 

Results, Analysis, and Conclusion: From the few tests we accomplished in the allotted time, we proved two important concepts. First, something inside the milk itself was causing the soap and food coloring to react the way they did. (As coffee did not react similarly. More tests with different liquids would have clarified this point.) Second, the fat content in the milk was the determining factor in the reaction. (The reaction was amplified with an increased fat content.)

Why exactly? A combination of animal fat, plant fat, the bipolarity of fat, and surface tension answer the question. Obviously, the plant fat in coffee produces a different result than the animal fat.

Expect future posts to be on the specified date.