PALAWAN NATIONAL SCHOOL

Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) Program

Puerto Princesa City

COFFEE FILTER PAPER WITH LEAF

EXTRTACT AS AN ALTERNATIVE
LITMUS PAPER

By:
SAARA DE LA CRUZ
MARISOL DRIO
JULIA LASTINO

March 2018
Objective

To determine if Lampunaya, Bougainvillea and San Francisco leaf extracts are suitable as

a substitute for litmus paper.

Problems

1. Which leaf-extract solution can test a basic or acidic pH level?

a. Lampunaya-extract solution?

b. Bougainvillea-extract solution?

c. San Francisco-extract solution?

2. What is the effect of acetone on the leaf-extract paper?

3. In all of the leaf-extract solutions, which can be the best alternative for litmus

paper?

Hypothesis
When the color of the filter paper changes, the alternative litmus paper containing leaf

extract is an effective substitute for litmus paper.

Methodology

Preparation of Materials

Prepare the materials and equipment to be used in the experiment: 5 g green Bougainvillea

leaves, violet Lampunaya leaves, green-red San Francisco leaves, acetone, triple-beam balance,

beaker, spoon, mortar and pestle, cup, scissors and coffee filter paper.

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Procedure

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Cut the leaves into 4 proportions using the scissors. Measure 5 grams of the cut leaves and

Grind the leaves with the mortar and pestle. Place this into the beaker. If the mixture does not

produce enough liquid then add a small amount of water into the beaker. Do this for all the leaves.

Next, cut 12 strips of the coffee filter paper. Dip one for each leaf extract and leave to dry. Get 2

strip of leaf-extract paper each from the Lampunaya, Bougainvillea and San Francisco leaves. Dip

one paper in acetone while the other in vinegar. Let them dry. Once they are all dry, observe any

changes in the color of the papers. The laboratory techniques and methods used are weighing,

grinding and drying.

Research Paradigm

 Type of leaf

- Bougainvillea

- Lampunaya  Effectivity of the leaf-

- San Francisco extract paper on
 Acetone

 Vinegar

Based on the research paradigm, the type of leaf used for the leaf extract paper will affect
the effectivity of the paper when tested on acetone and vinegar.

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Type of Research

The researchers used the Two-Group Design for their experiment. All of the subjects in

the experiment were administered with the same treatment.

Results and Discussions

After the experiment, the researchers noticed that when the leaf-extract papers were

tested on acetone, no changes occurred on the paper. Though when they were tested for the

vinegar, a small portion of the Lampunaya paper turned red. This shows that the Lampunaya is

effective as a tester for acids.

Table 1 Mass of selected type of leaves

Type of leaf Color Mass

Bougainvillea Green 5 grams

Lampunaya Dark Violet 5 grams

San Francisco Green- Red 5 grams

The table shows data on the mass of the leaves that were used for the experiment.

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Table 2 Color of the leaves before and after the experiment

Type of Leaf Color of the Leaf- Color of Leaf- Color of the Leaf-
extract paper
(Before) extract paper extract paper (Acid)

(Basic)

Bougainvillea

Lampunaya

San Francisco

Based on the table shown, the leaf-acetone papers do not work on liquids that are basic.

However, the Lampunaya paper reacted to an acid.

Summary

Based on the result of the experiment, the Bougainvillea, Lampunaya and San Francisco

leaf extract papers did not react to the acetone but the Lampunaya leaf extract paper reacted to

the vinegar. This states that the Lampunaya paper can act as an alternative to blue litmus paper.

Recommendations

The researchers recommend that further study is needed to improve the experiment. The

variables can also be changed to have a wider variety of results. The San Francisco and

Bougainvillea leaves did not show any changes, therefore they cannot be used for an alternative

litmus paper. They also recommend that pure leaf-extract will be used so that the effectivity of

the litmus paper would not be affected.

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Appendices

Appendix A

Preparation of materials

Appendix B

Cutting the Lampunaya leaves and measuring 5 grams of San Franisco leaves using the triple-

beam balance

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Appendix C

Crushing the leaves and extracting the leaf-extract

Appendix D

The coffee filter paper after being dipped into the leaf-extract mixtures and after they have dried.

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Appendix E

Lampunaya leaf-extract paper after being dipped in vinegar. Some of the sides of the paper

turned red.