How to Extract Chlorophyll From Plants

There isn't a child alive who hasn't posed this question: "Why is the grass green?" The answer, of course, is because of the chlorophyll, which essentially makes food for the plant. Chlorophyll converts carbon dioxide, water and sunshine into oxygen and simple sugars via a process called photosynthesis.

You can actually show your child real chlorophyll with this quick and very easy project. Use fresh geranium or spinach leaves, because they are soft and readily render chlorophyll when combined with acetone. Use old utensils that you're not afraid to discard, just in case the acetone or chlorophyll damage or stain them.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable gloves
• Acetone or nail-polish remover
• Cotton balls
• Glass bowls
• Teaspoon
• Geranium or spinach leaves
• Paper towels
• Cookie sheet
• Aluminum foil

Instructions

1. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Stack several sheets of paper toweling on top of the foil and set the cookie sheet aside.

2. Cut, tear or shred fresh geranium or spinach leaves into the tiniest pieces that you can manage--enough to measure about ½ cup. Put the leaf fragments into an old glass bowl. Do not use plastic bowls, because acetone dissolves some types of plastic.

3. Pour ¼ cup of acetone or nail-polish remover that contains acetone into the bowl of leaves.

4. Crush the leaves with the back of an old metal spoon as you stir the solution. Keep crushing and stirring until the liquid becomes a dark, deep green.

5. Filter the solid materials from the liquid by pouring it through cotton balls into another glass bowl.

6. Carefully pour the liquid by the teaspoonful onto the paper toweling on the cookie sheet. Set the sheet outside in the sun to allow the acetone to evaporate completely. The dark green residue that remains is extracted chlorophyll.

Tips & Warnings

• Acetone is highly flammable, so keep it away from heat and flames. It's also a skin irritant, so wear disposable gloves when handling it. Overexposure to acetone fumes can be toxic. Open the windows for good ventilation, or take this project outdoors.