Illustrated Guide to Home Forensic Science Experiments

Chapter 6. Lab I-4 Assay Phosphate Concentrations in Soil Specimens

Equipment and Materials

You’ll need the following items to complete this lab session. (The standard kit for this book, available from http://www.thehomescientist.com, includes the items listed in the first group.)

Materials from Kit

• Goggles

• Ascorbic acid tablet, 500 mg

• Centrifuge tubes, 15 mL

• Centrifuge tubes, 50 mL

• Graduated cylinder, 10 mL

• Graduated cylinder, 100 mL

• Molybdate reagent

• Phosphate extraction reagent, concentrate

• Phosphate standard, 1,000 ppm phosphate

• Pipettes

• Reaction plate, 24-well

• Stirring rod

Materials you Provide

• Gloves

• Balance (optional)

• Desk lamp or other light source

• Paper (white)

• Soft drink bottle, 500 mL (clean and empty)

• Water, distilled or deionized

• Specimens: soil, known ...