Candy Electrophoresis Lab

1. Some of our samples produced different color bands than the reference dyes. Some of the shades of the blue and the yellow were slightly different shades than the reference dyes. This could be because some of the candies have other ingredients in their coloring other than just the reference dyes, possibly some natural dyes.

2. Betanin (beetroot red) would probably migrate in a similar way to Blue 1. This is due to the fact that they are larger fragments, and the larger ones move more slowly through the gel than smaller molecules. Citrus red 2 would move in a similar way to Red 40 because they are of similar length.

3. Dog food manufactures might use artificial colors in dog food because it makes the food more appealing to the consumer, or the owner who is purchasing the dog food. Even though the food without the artificial dyes would taste the same, it looks less visually appealing and may dissuade owners from buying it.

5. The size of the fragment of the dye controls how far the dyes migrate away from their well. Also, the positive electrical current attracts the polar fragments and urges them to migrate through the gel.

6.  The positive electric current helps attract the dyes and move them through the gel.

7. The molecules of similar size will travel in groups and the larger molecules will not move as far through the gel as the smaller molecules. Therefore, the results will show which fragments are the smallest and the largest.

8. The molecules that weigh 600 daltons will be the farthest away from their starting point, the 1000 dalton molecules will be the next farthest away, then the 2000 dalton molecules, then the 5000 dalton molecules.