Total Cereal Experiment
Many foods contain iron, which blood cells need in order to carry oxygen. A protein called heme contains the iron (II) ion at its center. Blood vessels in the lungs, where oxygen concentration is high, allow the heme to bond to the oxygen molecule to create oxyhemoglobin, which is then transported to oxygen-hungry tissues throughout the body.
Because iron is so important to your body, you need to make sure you get enough in your diet! In this activity you will use a magnet to separate the iron contained in some iron-rich foods.
What you’ll need:
- Cereal or other food with iron (Total Cereal or Gerber Graduates Arrowroot Cookies work great)
- A Ziploc bag
- A little water
- A plastic, see-through cup
- A magnet
What you'll do:
- Pour some of the food into a Ziploc bag. Seal the bag with as little air in it as possible, then mash the food until you make a powder.
- Fill the bag with some water and mix.
- Let the mixture sit for at least one hour.
- After the cereal mixture has been allowed to sit, pour some into a plastic cup.
- Move a strong magnet against the side of the cup for about a minute. You should observe iron particles collecting on the side of the cup!
Suggestions and tips:
-Always use Total or another cereal that has 100% the daily allowance
-Put a serving size (especially if you are trying to give the kids a visual how much iron is in one serving) in a baggie
-have kids crush the cereal in the bag (they love to pass it around)
-fill container about 1/2 full with warm water
-empty crushed cereal into the water
-put magnet in sealable plastic bag along with a stirring stick (not magnetic of coarse, I always use chopsticks)
-seal baggie (get out as much air as possible)
-have kids insert baggie with magnet into cereal water and stir
-be sure they hold the top of the baggie well so it doesn't drop into the mixture (end up with a messy clean-up if they do)
-they stir about 15 minutes or until I check and see some iron on bag
-have paper towel on desk so they can set the baggie on it to observe
-have kids use a hand lens to observe the OUTSIDE of the bag when they take it out (they should see the iron filings and it is so cool)
-sometimes I need to help them move the magnet away from the iron so they can actually see it well and realize it is outside the bag and not from the magnet
-I let them touch it after observations
They are always amazed at seeing the iron and realizing that we actually eat it.
clean-up tips:
-pick a responsible student from each group to dump the mixture into the toilet and flush it down
-they will need to hold it low to the toilet to avoid splashing
- I ALWAYS check to toilets before and after the students dump it and if it is all over they have to go back in and do cleanup