1. Flowers and Food Coloring
By: Danielle deLisi

2. Does food coloring have an effect on the life span of a flower?
The Question…..
Does food coloring have an effect on the life span of a flower?

3. Background and Preparation
Elementary school project
Prom
Quantifying death?
Linda’s By Design

4. Dyes and Lakes Dyes dissolve easily in water.
Beverages, baked goods, pet foods and a variety of products.
Lakes are excellent for coloring products that contain fat and oils.
Tablets, cakes, doughnuts, hard candy and chewing gum. (

5. The Project 15 White Roses 15 ShopRite clear plastic cups
Badia Food Coloring- red, yellow, green, blue
4 colors and 1 control group
Test time- 1 week

6. Procedure Label cups Add water- bottom-most line
Add food coloring- 3 drops
Cut roses
Put roses in cups
Take picture
observe

7. Hypothesis
Roses that have added food coloring in their water will lose their petals faster than roses without anything added to the water.

8. Day 1
12 hour difference
Already showing color
Flowers open up

9. Day 2
Green/Blue speckled top
Blue #1, Green #1, Yellow #3

10. Day 3
Curling Petals
Blue #1&3, Green #1-3, Yellow #3, Red #2-3

11. Day 4 Greater tint shows more speckle Flowers opening
All show speckle
Flowers opening
Yellow #3 browning

12. Day 5 Blue #2 not coloring as fast Yellow #3 has yellow/brown tips
Red #2 petals curling

13. Day 6
Control petals begin to curl
Green & Blue petals still curling

14. Day 7 Red/Yellow vs. Green/Blue Fraying Browning Smooth vs. speckled

16. Red Flowers
Yellow Flowers
Green Flowers
Blue Flowers
Control Flowers

18. Unaccounted Variables
Roses not in same stages of bloom
Water level, refill or not?
Time Restraint
Amount of light
Mold

19. Cut Flowers and the Mold
Cut flowers create air bubbles
Block xylem
Flower preservatives
Biocides- kill bacteria
Stops blockage of xylem (

20. Conclusion
Colored flowers appear to brown faster, but due to unsure development of original flowers it is not definite.
Flowers that were more open at the beginning of the experiment absorbed color faster and had more speckling towards the top of the petals.

21. Does Food Coloring Effect Plant Mood?
Artificial food colors can cause depression, anxiety, and attention deficit disorder (ADD) persist.
Certain European countries have made the use of FD & C colors illegal. (

22. More Questions….? Does stem height effect absorption of water/color?
Does the amount of petals affect the rate of coloring? (Daisies)
Does concentration, amount of dye vs. water, effect longevity of flower or rate of absorption?

23. More Questions…?
Why were red and yellow more evenly colored then green and blue which were speckled?
Do flowers in different stages absorb at different rates?
Would mixing dyes effect on the coloring of the flower?
Red+Blue vs. Purple dye

24. Bibliography
Castor-Perry, Sarah. "Science Questions." What Biological Process Causes Flowers to Wilt? The Naked Scientists, Mar Web. 20 Nov < questions/question/2963/>.
Ellis-Christensen, Tricia. "Artificial Food Coloring." WiseGEEK. Ed. O. Wallace. Conjecture Corporation, 23 Oct Web. 20 Nov < coloring>.
Gilman, Victoria. "C&EN: WHAT'S THAT STUFF? - FOOD COLORING." Chemical & Engineering News: Science & Technology 81.34 (2003): 34. C&EN: WHAT'S THAT STUFF? - FOOD COLORING. Chemical & Engineering News, American Chemical Society, 25 Aug Web. 20 Nov < ml>.