Student Exploration: Identifying Nutrients

Name: ______________________________________

Date: ________________________

Student Exploration: Identifying Nutrients

Vocabulary: carbohydrate, disaccharide, lipid, monosaccharide, polysaccharide, protein, starch

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

1. What are the major types of nutrients you can get from food? ________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

2. How are these nutrients used by your body? _____________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

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Gizmo Warm-up

Have you ever wondered what is in your food? Scientists

use a variety of tests to determine the nutritional content of

food. You will learn four of those tests with the Identifying

Nutrients Gizmo™.

1. Below the Food samples label, drag tube A into the

Food sample holder. Below the Benedict test, click

the Test button. What is done in the Benedict test?

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

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2. The Benedict test is a test for monosaccharides; simple sugars like glucose or fructose

(fruit sugar). In contact with monosaccharides, the Benedict solution turns from blue to pink.

Does Sample A contain monosaccharides? _________

Note: Disaccharides such as sucrose (table sugar) and lactose (milk sugar) are more

complex than monosaccharides. The Benedict test does not detect disaccharides directly.

Activity A:

Identifying

nutrients

Get the Gizmo ready:

• Click Reset.

• Drag Sample A into the Food sample holder.

Introduction: Most food is composed of three types of molecules: carbohydrates, proteins,

and lipids.

•

Carbohydrates such as starches and sugars are major source of energy....