Question

How Much Iron is in Total Cereal?  

     The following at home lab exercise will demonstrate that iron is actually in iron fortified cereal such as Total.

       Materials:

• 1 cup iron fortified cereal (Total)

• 2 cups of hot water (from the sink)  

• 1 clear glass large enough to hold the cereal and the water.

• Magnet- The magnet can be from an inexpensive refrigerator magnet. You will be able to see the results better if you paint the magnet white or another light color. You can use any kind of paint you might have handy. If you don't have any paint the experiment will still work, it will just be a little harder to see the iron.

• Wooden spoon or Popsicle stick

      Safety: Only use hot tap water and do not eat the cereal after the experiment.

       Exploration:

Step 1     Examine the cereal and make a note of its appearance. Read the ingredient label.     How is iron listed on the ingredient label? (Is it listed in a compound as iron (II), iron(III),           etc.)

Step 2     Place a cup of the cereal into approximately 2 cups of hot tap water and stir with a wooden spoon or Popsicle stick to make a slurry.                

What happens to the cereal?

               

After stirring for about a minute add the magnet to the mixture.  

Why did we use hot water instead of cold water?   

Step 3     Let the cereal sit for approximately 45 minutes. Be sure to stir the mixture well          every 15 minutes. Why is the stirring necessary?

                      The longer the magnet remains in the mixture the better the results.

Step 4     After 45 minutes remove the magnet and observe your results. You should see metallic iron removed from your mixture by the magnet. If you do not notice any iron on the magnet put the magnet back in the mixture for another 45 minutes. Be sure to stir the mixture before removing the magnet.

Describe the appearance of the iron on the magnet.

Many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals that are needed for good health. Metallic iron is added to fortified cereal. In this experiment the magnet collects the iron. Would you expect minerals to be removed with the magnet? Why or why not?

Suggest some ways to improve the removal of iron from the cereal and reduce the amount of time needed for the iron to collect on the magnet.

      Bonus: Why do manufacturers place metallic iron in cereals instead of using some other form of iron?

Answer 1