Iron in Cereal: Find iron in your food!

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Learners investigate an iron-fortified cereal by stirring it with a strong magnet. They discover that metallic iron is present in some cereals. Humans need vitamins and minerals--including some metals--in their diets, and this experiment helps learners understand the chemistry of the food they eat. This activity (located on page 2 of the PDF) is one of three activities in the Take Home guide for the Everyday Chemistry unit in OMSI's Chemistry Lab. Also included in the PDF are two additional activities: Spicy Indicator and Mystery Writing.

Quick Guide

Preparation Time:
Under 5 minutes
Learning Time:
5 to 10 minutes
Estimated Materials Cost:
$1 - $5 per student
Age Range:
Ages 6 - 14
Resource Types:
Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity
Language:
English

Materials List (per student)

  • Total® brand cereal or other high-iron-content breakfast cereal
  • mixing bowl
  • water
  • plastic or glass rod
  • large spoon
  • strong magnet
  • tape

Keywords

Subjects

  • Life Sciences
    • Human Body
      • Health and Nutrition
  • Physical Sciences
    • Electricity and Magnetism
      • Electromagnetic Fields
    • Chemistry

Informal Categories

  • Food and Cooking
  • Science Festivals Activity

Audience

To use this activity, learners need to:

  • see
  • touch

Learning styles supported:

  • Involves hands-on or lab activities

Other

This resource is part of:

Access Rights:

  • Free access

By:

Rights:

Funding Source:

  • National Science Foundation