Names-

Who Killed Mr. Palermo?

Testing forOrganicCompounds

Aim:Howcanweusechemical indicatorstodeterminewho killedMr. Palermo?

POLICEREPORT:Atapproximately 10:00PM,Mr. Palermoenteredtheemergencyroom atUniversityHospitalcomplaining ofanupsetstomach,dizziness,weakness,andblurredvision.A bloodsampleandbriefmedical historywastakenbytheattending physician.Whileintheemergencyroom,Mr. Palermofellintoa coma anddiedat3:00AM.ThebloodtestsindicatedthatMr. Palermohadbeenpoisoned.Aspartoftheemergencyroom report,Mr. Palermo indicatedthathebegantofeel ill shortlyafterdinner.Itwashisbirthdayandsix ofhiscoworkershadtakenhim todinneratalocal Chineserestaurant.Hestatedthatthey hadorderedalargericeandmeatdishwithvegetablesandall sharedthesame food.He alsorecalledthatafterdinner,heinvitedonecoworkertohishouseforabirthdaytoast,andthecoworkersharedabottleofsweetplum wine.Alloftheothercoworkershadgonehomealone.Hebecame unconscious beforehecouldnamewhichcoworkercametohishome.The policewerecontactedandfearedthatthecoworkersmayhave contractedfoodpoisoning.Eachwasrushedto StonyBrookUniversityHospital wherethey hadtheir stomachs pumpedasaprecautionarymeasure.However,noneofthecoworkersshowedanysignsofbeing poisoned.The policethenconcludedthatthericeandmeatdishwithvegetablescouldnothavebeenthesourceofpoison,sinceall hadsharedthesamemeal.However,Mr. Palermohadsweetplum winewithonlyoneofthedinnerguests.Whenquestioned,all ofthecoworkersindicatedthatthey wentdirectlyhomealoneafterfinishing dinnerattherestaurant.

INVESTIGATION: Wemustdeterminewhichofthesixcoworkersdranksweetplum wine withMr. Palermothenightofthemurder.Todothis,wemustanalyzethestomachcontentsofeachofthesuspectscollectedthatnightat thehospitalandlookfortracesofglucosethatwouldhavebeenbrokendownfromthewine.Your groupwill analyzeonlyone suspect.Attheendofthelab,wewill compareresultsfromallthelabgroupstodeterminewhothemurdererwas.Thenamesofthesix murder suspects are:

Suspect#1: Mr. RyonSuspect#2: Ms. Drury

Suspect#3: Mr. DiGiacomoSuspect#4: Ms. Bloch

Suspect#5: Ms. ButlerSuspect#6: Mr. Kellerman

PRELAB QUESTIONS:

1.Whichorganiccompoundswill bepresentinevery suspect’s stomachcontents?

2.Completethechartwithyouranswersfrom question#1.

Foodeatenbyeverysuspect / Typeof OrganicCompound
1.
2.
3.

3.Whichsubstancewill onlybepresentinthemurderer’sstomachcontents?

PROCEDURE:

1.Labelonetesttubeforeachindicatortest: StarchProteinGlucose

2.Carefullypouryour suspects stomachcontentsintotheTHREEseparatetesttubes.Fill thetest tubesapproximately2centimetersfrom thebottom.

3.Testforthepresenceoforganiccompoundsasfollows:

STARCH-usetheIODINESOLUTION.Add2-3dropsofiodineintothetesttubelabeledstarch.

  • Ifthe color changesfrom brownish-orangetoBLUE-BLACK,thenstarchispresent.

PROTEIN-usetheBiuretreagent.Add15dropsofBiuretreagentintothetesttubelabeledprotein.

  • Ifthe color changesfrom bluetoPINK-PURPLE,thenproteinispresent.

GLUCOSE-using aGLUCOSETESTSTRIP,dipthePINKendoftheSTRIP intothetesttubelabeledglucose.IfthestripturnsaDARKPURPLE,thenglucoseispresent.

DATA:

1.Whoisyoursuspect?

Completethedata tablechartbelow.

SubstanceTested / IndicatorUsed / ColorresultsaftertheTest / Isthesubstancepresent?
TESTTUBE #1
TESTTUBE #2
TESTTUBE #3

2.Isyoursuspectthemurderer?

3.Howcouldyoutell ifyoursuspect wasorwasnotthemurderer?

4.Whoisthemurderer?

5.Whatisthepurposeofusing achemical indicator?

6.Howcouldhave yourresultschangedifeveryoneate chocolate birthdaycake fordessert?