KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SIVAGANGA

2014 -2015
CHEMISTRY PROJECT REPORT
ON
STUDY OF THE OXALATE ION CONTENT IN GUAVA FRUIT

Submitted to
CENTRAL BOARD OF SECONDARY EXAMINATION
in fulfilment of AISSCE - 15

Under Guidance of,

Prepared by,

Shri. V. Ramesh Pandian

PGT (CHEM)
KV Sivaganga

R. Rahul
XII (SCIENCE)
KV Sivaganga

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that R. Rahul of class
12th has satisfactorily completed the
project To Study the Presence of Oxalate
ion content in Guava fruit
I have examined the project and hereby
accord my approval of it as a study
carried out and presented in the manner
required for its acceptance. This does
not necessarily endorse or accept every
statement made or opinion expressed or
conclusion drawn, but only signifies the
acceptance of the project for the purpose
it is submitted for.
This project may be considered as a part
of fulfillment of AISSCE conducted by
CBSE.

Internal Examiner

External Examiner

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It is my utmost pleasure to express deep sense of gratitude towards
Shri.V.Ramesh Pandian, my Chemistry teacher, who directed me to
complete this project successfully. His valuable guidance and
supervision are considerably responsible for helping this project attain
its present form. I am also thankful to my dear friend for accompanying
me in this work as fellow team member. Without his support, this
project wouldnt have been successfully completed.
Once again I wish to thank all my friends and teachers who involved in
making of this project.

Thank you!!!

CONTENTS
S.no

Title

Page No.

Introduction

Experiment

2-9

Aim

Apparatus Required

Chemicals Required

Materials Required

Theory

Chemical Equations

Procedure

Observation

Calculation

Result

Conclusion

10

Bibliography

10

INTRODUCTION
Guava is sweet, juicy and light or dark green coloured fruit. It is cultivated in
all parts of India. When ripe it acquires yellow colour and has penetrating
strong scent. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and minerals. It is a rich source of
oxalate and its content in the fruit varies during different stages of ripening.
Guava fruit, usually 4 to 12 cm long, are round or oval depending on the
species. The outer skin may be rough, often with a bitter taste, or soft and
sweet. Varying between species, the skin can be any thickness, is usually
green before maturity, but becomes yellow, maroon, or green when ripe.
Guava fruit generally have a pronounced and typical fragrance, similar
to lemon rind but less sharp. Guava pulp may be sweet or sour, off-white
("white" guavas) to deep pink ("red" guavas), with the seeds in the central
pulp of variable number and hardness, again depending on species

WHAT IS OXALATE?
Oxalate is an organic acid, primarily found in plants, animals and humans. It
is not an essential molecule and is excreted from our body in an unchanged
form. Our body either produces oxalate on its own or it converts other
molecules like vitamin C to oxalate. External sources like the foods we eat
also contribute to the accumulation of oxalate in our body. The oxalate present
in the body is excreted in our urine as a waste. Too much of oxalate in our
urine, results in a medical condition called as hyperoxaluria, commonly
referred to as kidney stones. Diet is looked upon as a preventive measure in
addition to medicines to treat kidney stones. Read more on what causes
kidney stones.

AIM
To test for the presence of oxalate ions in the
guava fruit and how its amount varies during
different stages of ripening.

APPARATUS REQUIRED
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

100 ml measuring flask

Pestle & Mortar
Beaker
Burette
Funnel
Weighing machine
Filter Papers

CHEMICALS REQUIRED
1. dil. H2SO4
2. KMnO4 solution

MATERIALS REQUIRED
1. Guava Fruits at different stages of ripening

THEORY
Oxalate ions are extracted from the fruit by boiling pulp with dil. H2SO4. Then
oxalate ions are estimated volumetrically by titrating the solution with
standard KMnO4 solution.
Titration is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical
analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of a
known reactant. Because volume measurements play a key role in titration, it
is also known as volumetric analysis. A reagent, called the titrant or titrator, of
a known concentration (a standard solution) and volume is used to react with a
solution of the analyte or titrand, whose concentration is not known. Using a
calibrated burette or chemistry pipetting syringe to add the titrant, it is
possible to determine the exact amount that has been consumed when
the endpoint is reached. The endpoint is the point at which the titration is
complete, as determined by an indicator (see below).
This is ideally the same volume as the equivalence pointthe volume of
added titrant at which the number of moles of titrant is equal to the number of
moles of analyte, or some multiple thereof (as in polyprotic acids). In the
classic strong acid-strong base titration, the endpoint of a titration is the point
at which the pH of the reactant is just about equal to 7, and often when the
solution takes on a persisting solid colour as in the pink of
phenolphthalein indicator.

CHEMICAL EQUATIONS
Molecular Equations

2KMnO4 + 3H2SO4

K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 2H2O + 4[O]

C
60
70

HOOC-COOH.2H2O +[O]

2CO2 + 2H2O

x 5

3KMnO4 + 3H2SO4 +5 HOOC-COOH.2H2O

K2SO4 + 2MnSO4 + 18H2O + 10CO2

Ionic Equations

MnO4- +16H+ + 5eC2O4

2MnO4- + 16H+ + 5C2O42-

Mn2+ + 4H2O
2CO2 + 2e-

x 2
x 5

2Mn2+ +8H2O + 10CO2

PROCEDURE
1. Weighed 50 g of fresh guava and crushed it to a fine pulp using
pestle and mortar.
2. Transferred the crushed pulp to a beaker and added about 50 ml
dilute H2SO4 to it.
3. Boiled the content for about 10 minutes. Cooled and filtered the
contents in a 100 ml measuring flask.
4. Made up the volume 100 ml by adding ample amount of distilled
water.
5. Took 20 ml of the solution from the flask and added 20 ml of dilute
sulphuric acid to it.
6. Heated the mixture to about 600 C and titrated it against (n/10)
KMnO4 solution taken in a burette till the end point had an
appearance of pink colour.
7.

Repeated the above experiment with 50 g of 1day, 2 day and 3 day

old guava fruits.

OBSERVATIONS
1.

Weight of guava fruit taken each time

2.

Volume of guava extract taken in each titration = 20.0 ml

3.

Normality of KMnO4 solution

Guava
extract From

Fresh Guava
One Day Old
Guava
Two Day Old
Guava

Initial
reading of
the burette

Final reading
of the
burette

= 50.0 g
1

= 20 N

Volume of
the N/20
KMnO4
solution (ml)

Strength of
Oxalate

CALCULATIONS
For fresh guava
N1V1
(guava extract)
N1

10 =

N2V2
(KMnO4 solution)
1

20

Normality of oxalate,

N1 =

200

Strength of oxalate in fresh guava extract

= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
=

200

x 44 g/litre of the diluted extract

For One day old guava

N1V1
(guava extract)

N1

10 =

N2V2
(KMnO4 solution)
1
20

Normality of oxalate,

x
N1 =

200

Strength of oxalate in one day guava extract

= Normality x Eq. mass of oxalate ion
=

200

x 44 g/litre of the diluted extract

Similarly, calculate the strength of oxalate in 2 days old guava extract

and interpret the result.

RESULT
The strength of oxalate of fresh guava

The strength of oxalate of one day old guava

The strength of oxalate of two day old guava

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Comprehensive Lab Manual for Chemistry
2. Wikipedia
3. cbse.nic.in/academic.html