Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi, im a little late in my research for my science project so any help will be much appreciated! Does anyone know how to remove chlorophyll from leaves?

Well, you should at least do a little research before posting for help...

I did an easy Google search on:
remove chlorophyll leaves
and got lots of results. Looking at just the first one is very relevant and probably around the level of the experiment you're considering:
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/g ... n01570.htm

Of course, whatever your removal method, it's going to involve some noxious chemicals, so take precautions! Have an adult supervise, do it in a ventalated room, wear goggles (you can buy them cheap at Home Depot for about $2), gloves (about $2), and a face mask (about $1). If you have a chemistry lab at school with a "hood" (a glass-enclosed case with a fan and built-in gloves), that would be the ideal place to do your experiment.

A follow-on question that you should think about is what do you want to do with the chlorophyll? Just removing it from the leaves isn't all that interesting...

hi!

I did a search and you can also use alcohol to remove chlorophyll. You should use 50% alcohol and not 90%. Check this site:

1. (http://www.bio.net/hypermail/PLANT-EDUC ... 07489.html)

Hope this helps!