Effect of Ph on Food Preservatives Essay Example for Free

Effect of Ph on Food Preservatives Essay Sodium Benzoate is a common food preservative used in food products such as jams and jellies, soft drinks, pickles, condiments etc and in tinned products in the market. This experiment aimed to determine whether benzoic acid is formed from it’s superior soluble form sodium benzoate in stomach acid, which is simulated by HCl (pH=2). It has been seen that at a low optimum pH, i.e. in the presence of sufficient hydrochloric acid, sufficient benzoic acid is yielded. The percentage yield is determined from the calculations of the theoretical (stoichiometric) calculations and the actual yield from the reaction. Also throughout the experiment, some basic laboratory operations such as measuring mass and volume, separating solids from liquids by vacuum filtration and drying solids are familiarized with. Introduction The reaction of sodium benzoate and hydrochloric acid is a typical phenomenon of hydrolysis reaction which conforms to the principles of acid-base chemistry and stoichiometry. In a typical hydrolysis reaction, when a salt dissolves in water, the salt dissociates to its constituent anions and cations (benzoate and sodium ions respectively). Also, when strong acids like hydrochloric acid dissolves in water, chloride ions and hydronium ions are formed. Hence in the reaction involving sodium benzoate and hydrochloric acid solution, in the presence of high concentration of hydronium ions, protons will be transferred from the strong acid H3O+ to the basic benzoate ion. This will yield benzoic acid, C6H5COOH which precipitates from the solution as it has a really poor solubility (0.34g/100ml). The fundamental reaction is sketched out below: As can be seen from the difference in the pKa values, H3O+ is a much stronger acid than benzoic acid. So, the equilibrium of the reaction strongly favours its completion and hence hydrochloric acid which ideally simulates the acidic conditions of the stomach, does convert benzoate to benzoic acid. Safety: Throughout the lab safety goggles, protective gloves and aprons were worn while carrying out the experiments. While transferring the HCl to the reaction vial in the student hood, the head must never be inside the glass hood as vapour inhalation can cause choking hazard and irritations. Also the hosepipes were carefully plugged in and out of the filter flask to avoid breakage or tipping of the Hirsh funnel. Experimental For this experiment and basic operations, calibrated Pasteur pipettes, a 5ml conical reaction vial, watch glass, stirring rod, electronic balance, small test tube, Hirsh funnel, filter flask and filter paper are used. The procedure for this experiment appears on page 7 of the lab manual, Multiscale Organic Chemistry (4th custom UB edition)3. As the primary objective of this experiment was to find out whether sodium benzoate reacts with simulated stomach acid to form benzoic acid, the results clearly indicate that a successful reaction close to completion, if not fully complete, has taken place. The percentage yield calculation reveals that approximately 90% of benzoic acid as white precipitate were recovered from the reaction. There were a number of factors which might have contributed to the 10% deficiency in the final yield. It needs to be mentioned though that a percentage yield of less than 100% is achieved because the drying of the solid mass after vacuum filtration was sufficient to give a practical number. During measurements of mass of benzoate and benzoic acid when it’s formed, there were obvious human errors involved. Some benzoates were lost while transferring to the conical reaction vial from the watch glasses, and further loss of the product benzoic acid might have taken place when the solution mixture was tipped on the Hirsh funnel. We couldn’t determine if the reaction was complete or not, so we might not have had all the salt converted 4. The solution might not have sufficiently and gradually cooled though every effort was made for that, hence there could be lack of benzoic acid crystals forming. The litmus test might have contributed to a significant loss of the precipitate, but only one instead of multiple tests were performed to see if the reaction mixture was acidic enough. Given the carefully controlled experiments and the 90% yield, it can be deemed that the methods used to perform the experiments are full proof and performed as immaculately as possible. Conclusion The fact that a new substance is formed indeed when sodium benzoate is placed into a simulated stomach acid has been demonstrated successfully with the aid of the experiments and aforementioned results. A 90% yield suggests that all the basic operations were carried out as neatly and carefully as possible and measures taken to minimize obvious errors which could take place while performing the experiments. All in all, the experiment provided a practical evidence of the theory behind the hydrolysis of sodium benzoate and percentage yield of it’s product.

Ubuntu :: Africa Philosophy Culture Papers

Ubuntu The decolonization of Africa, of which the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa is the most recent example, has led to a greater recognition of the wide variety of religions practising on its soil. When confronted with this plurality, and the corresponding plurality of claims to truth or credibility, believers often resort to absolutism. The absolutist evaluates the religious other in view of criteria which violate the self-understanding of the latter. The religious other is thus being colonized by a hegemony (i.e., an enforced homogeneity) of norms and values. This paper deals with an assessment of the faith of others which transcends absolutism without resorting to relativism. More specifically, it aims to show that an African philosophy and way of life called ‘Ubuntu’ (humanness) significantly overlaps with such a ‘decolonized’ assessment of the religious other, and that this assessment can therefore also be explained, motivated or underscored with re ference to the concept of Ubuntu. Introduction: A decolonized assessment The decolonization of Africa, of which the dismantling of apartheid in South Africa is a recent example, led to a greater recognition of the wide variety of religions practising on its soil. When confronted with this plurality, and the corresponding plurality of claims to truth or credibility, believers usually resort to either absolutism or relativism. The absolutist evaluates the religious other in view of criteria which violate the self-understanding of the latter. The religious other is thus being colonized by a hegemony (i.e. an enforced homogeneity) of norms and values. In an attempt to transcend this hegemonic colonization, the relativist, on the other hand, simply surrenders the evaluation of beliefs and practices to subjective arbitrariness. This paper deals with an assessment of the faith of others which transcends absolutism without resorting to relativism. More specifically, it aims to show that an African philosophy and way of life called "Ubuntu" (humanness) significantly overlaps with such a "decolonized" assessment of the religious other, and that this assessment can therefore also be explained, motivated or underscored with reference to the concept of Ubuntu. Much can and has already been said about the presuppositions and requirements of such an assessment. However, for the purposes of this paper I would like to concentrate on only three of these, viz.: (1) a respect for the other as a religious other; (2) an agreement on criteria, i.e. a common scale in view of which the adherents of different religious traditions may jointly judge these traditions; and (3) an interreligious dialogue or "mutual exposure" (cf.

Reflection On Taking The Elementary Education Program Essay

After taking EDUC 417 and completing level 1 of the elementary education program, I have definitely learned that children’s literature matters and is a necessity in the classroom. Children are never to young to be read to and never to old to stop being read to. Reading aloud to students at all ages, but especially to young and developing readers is an essential tool in order for children to become successful in school. Children’s literature is endless and I have truly learned about the diverse collection of books that are available for student’s to read. It is essential as a teacher to provide students with access to a diverse  collection of books because students’ can learn endlessly from different genres, reading levels, and cultural perspectives. It is key to provide a diverse source of literature in the classroom for students to be exposed to. When children are young readers, one of the most important jobs of the teacher is to help students not only learn to read but develop a love for reading. Not only is reading important in developing skills and succeeding in school, but it is valuable for other important reasons as well. Children’s literature is vital because it allows students to respond  to literature and appreciate their own culture, as well as others. It allows students to grow creatively and develops student’s personalities and social skills. It is crucial for students to learn about their culture as well as others, and literature is an amazing source for students to learn this. It is critical to find books that are unbiased and depict culture as an important piece of society. My eyes have opened after reading a large selection of books with different genres, reading levels, and cultural perspectives this semester. The more contact students have  with books, the better readers they become. Teachers can promote this by reading every day and providing children the opportunity for students to interact with books daily. Providing time for reading in the classroom and having conversations about reading helps children foster a love for reading. Children learn to read by reading, which is why literature matters and it is important to read and use in the classroom. 2. Three important learning’s from this semester are multicultural literature, reading logs, and genre sharing. Multicultural literature has been a key aspect of learning this semester. Before taking EDUC 417, I was unaware of the vast collection of books that represent diverse cultures. Through the books read in class and the two text sets I created, I have learned the significance of multicultural children’s literature and the value it can have on students. Through these books, children can learn to respect not only their own cultural groups, but also the cultural groups of others. Children’s books can be a mirror of their on lives or a window into the world around them. Multicultural literature helps students understand that despite the differences around us, all people share  common feelings and experiences. I have also learned the importance of choosing good multicultural books that represent specific cultures in realistic and unbiased ways. It is important for the books to challenge stereotypes and have a realistic glimpse of the lives of the culture portrayed in the book. Books that provide an accurate representation of diverse cultural groups allow students to learn to identify stereotypes and biases in their lives. Reading logs have been another important learning from this semester. The website, LibraryThing has been an amazing tool in creating my own reading  log. I have been able to create a list of all of the books I have read this semester with specific details like tags, reading level, genre, rating, and review. The reading log I created is a source I am able to look back on for years to come. Creating my own reading log has taught me organization and time management skills, but has also given me the opportunity to reflect on the books I have read. Since I am going to be a teacher with my own classroom, my reading log has helped me start creating a source in order to create a successful and beneficial classroom library  in the future. Being able to look back on the books I loved and didn’t like will help me create the best classroom library for my students. Genre sharing was the third learning from this semester that was significant to me. I believe this was very important because I learned a huge amount of information about different genres present in children’s literature. Before taking EDUC 417, I was unaware of the collection of genres present within children’s literature. From genre and book sharing this semester, I have learned about seven different genres and the key points, history, reader  connections, and evaluation criteria of each genre. This has been very beneficial because I have learned the importance of introducing students to all different genres and how to find books that represent each genre in the most successful way. 3. Three specific ways that I am committed to using children’s literature in my classroom are through a classroom library, reading aloud, and literature centers. All three of these ways I will use children’s literature in my classroom are critical to my teaching in different ways. A classroom library is essential and  critical to my teaching because it provides students with the opportunity to read daily. I will provide students with time to read daily and self-choice of books. My classroom library is critical to my teaching because it will expose students to books, reading, and help foster their love of reading. Reading aloud is another way I will commit to using children’s literature in my classroom. Reading aloud is such an essential tool in the classroom and exposes students to language, different text types, critical thinking, and books that students normally would not be able to read on their own. Children who are read aloud to usually become the best readers and eventually writers as well. Reading aloud will be critical to my teaching because I am able to read a huge variety of books with different genres and cultural perspectives. Reading aloud gives me the opportunity to expose my students to a vast diversity of books. If time allows it, I would love to read aloud to my students daily as a key way of commitment to using children’s literature in my classroom. Lastly, I will be committed to using children’s literature in my classroom through literature circles. There is an abundance of ways to read within the classroom and literature circles allow students to read in multiple different ways. Students can read independently, through shared reading, and guided reading. Literature circles also give the teacher the opportunity to split students up by reading level. During literature circles, teachers are able to work with students on a more personal level in order to help them grow as readers. Literature circles will be critical to my teaching because they provide a place for cooperative learning, social experiences, choice, structure, and differentiated instruction.

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