Lab Report For A Science Fair Project

Have you ever wondered why the leaves on trees change color in autumn? This paper will explore various pigments,carotenoids,chlorophyll,anthocyanins,xanthophylls and how those pigments are responsible for various activities of trees. The hypothesis of this project is “If the type of leaf is a oak leaf, then the number of pigments will stay the same.” The idea for this science fair project is to collect three different types of tree leaves and count the number of different types of pigments in each.
This project should be interesting because the different types of pigments create different colors in autumn leaves, and most people like to see the different colored leaves of autumn. The purpose of this project is to figure out which types of

Pigments are the substance that captures the sun's energy in photosynthesis. The major pigments contained in plants are carotenoids, chlorophyll, anthocyanins, and xanthophylls.
Carotenoids perform two roles in the process of photosynthesis. Carotenoids are secondary light collecting pigments that enable the plants to use different types of light to produce food for plants. Carotenoids also protect chlorophyll pigments from potential harm that oxygen can cause.
Chlorophyll, a green pigment, is the main pigment that absorbs light to produce food for a plant. There are two types of chlorophyll: chlorophyll a and b.(Friedl)
Anthocyanins are red leaf pigments that are contained in only some trees. The anthocyanins purpose is to pull all the sugar and nutrients possible from the leaves before the leaves fall for the winter season.(Horton2)
Xanthophylls are yellow pigments contained in the leaves. Xanthophylls function as accessory pigments that capture wavelengths of sunlight that are not absorbed by chlorophylls. There is also evidence that xanthophylls could be used within plants to prevent damage to the chloroplasts when the plant is exposed to high solar

In this experiment fresh ground or torn leaves soak in acetone or concentrated alcohol. Then, the pigments are put onto strips of chromatography paper and are filtered using gravity filtration. That is a college level project that is a similar project. (Henderson1)
Another similar project that was performed at a high school level was found at 123helpme. In this experiment, first place a long strip of absorbent paper inside a boiling tube. Then, remove the paper from the hot tube and place a drop of pigment solution on the strip of absorbent paper. Let the paper dry. Then, add either a mixture of propanone or a mixture of petroleum. Wait ten minutes and the pigments will separate. That is a high school level project that is a similar project to this science project.