H.
BTEC L3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN APPLIED SCIENCE
Unit 6: Investigative Project
Introduction
In this paper, the sugar content in ripening bananas has been researched to
investigate the differences and/or similarities in sugar concentration in ripening
bananas. The ripening of bananas refers to the point when bananas are ready to
be eaten.
Bananas that have not been ripened consist mainly of starch, for example, green
bananas have, on average, around 70-80% starch (5). The starch content in
these bananas decreases as they ripen since they are converted into sugars.
Sugars found in bananas include sucrose, fructose, and galactose and in ripened
bananas, the content of sugars can weigh over 15% of the weight of the bananas
(5).
Agriculturally, it is important to know when bananas are at the correct ripeness
(sweetness) so that they can be distributed commercially, considering the
duration of the packaging, transportation process and taste for the customer.
This will be further investigated as the project becomes complete.
Literature review
Preclaboratories (5)
Preclaboratories (5) is an online site for the manufacturing company, Precision
Laboratories, and they produced a method for measuring the sugar content in
bananas. This method involves using glucose test strips to test the glucose
content of bananas of differing ripeness. The glucose test strip indicates the
concentration of glucose found in the banana samples and this is then recorded
for each sample and retested.
This method from Preclaboratories has not been peer-reviewed however another
site confirms this method which has credits to David Whyte, an individual with a
PhD (6). This site is Science Buddies which is a provider of science educational
resources and a public charity.
Both sites are very up-to-date as they are both dated in recent years,
Preclaboratories is dated to 2018 and Science Buddies is dated to 2022. This
demonstrates that the information on both these sites is reliable to use as they
have been published recently.
The origin of the primary source is diagnostic expert developers which help to
confirm how reliable Preclaboratories is as well as determine the accuracy of the
information provided. In relation to this, Precision Laboratories have a research
development lab which aims at improving the quality of their test strips and
other laboratory products. This shows how focused they are as a manufacturer
on ensuring the quality of the products they manufacture is continuously being
improved at their research development lab.
The perspective of Precision Laboratories is from a scientific perspective as they
have employees with careers in laboratories as well as research laboratories.
This has importance as it means that their view of the products they produce is
1
, H.
BTEC L3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN APPLIED SCIENCE
Unit 6: Investigative Project
based on scientific knowledge and expertise, making Precision Laboratories a
reliable source to use as part of this investigative project.
In terms of context, Precision Laboratories was founded in 1932 and has become
a ‘staple in the scientific community’, distributing its products globally (5). This
presents them as an experienced laboratory manufacturer as they have been
distributing and producing test strips for more than 80 years. In addition to this,
research has been ongoing for a long period, increasing their knowledge of their
products and their expertise in them. This also has significant importance as the
method they produced is recognised as an example of a reliable method
produced by a reliable source.
Precision Laboratories targets customers who aim to use test strips for either,
industrial or laboratory reasons, for example, testing water or cosmetics. They
provide these customers with testing products to fulfil their testing requirements
of customers and educate their customers. This indicates how reliable this
source is as they have the sole purpose of supplying their customers with test
strips for industrial/laboratory use.
This source is useful as part of this investigative project as it consists of a well-
structured method on how to measure the sugar content of ripening bananas
using glucose test strips as well as the list of equipment required to carry out
this investigation. This method, however, is unsuitable as liquids can only be
tested on glucose strips and in this investigation, bananas will be used so they
won't be able to be transferred into the glucose strips.
Education (4)
Education (4) is another online site which provides learning resources and lists a
science project on how to measure sugar in fruit using a refractometer-
equipment used to measure the concentration of sugar. This science project
included a method where bananas of differing ripeness are converted into liquid
form to be tested in a refractometer. The results produced by the refractometer
are recorded and presented in a graph where the y-axis displays the readings of
the refractometer, and the x-axis shows the time.
The method listed by this site can be backed up by another online source as they
also produced a method using a refractometer to measure the sugar content of
bananas (6). This site was previously mentioned before under the section
‘Preclaboratories, 2018’ and was used to back up the method listed on the site. It
was found that Science Buddies (6) included similar methods to help back up the
sources researched in this literature search and review. As a result, Science
Buddies (6) was able to confirm the reliability of the method provided by
Education as it was reviewed that they were both very similar in terms of the
objectives and steps included.
Science Buddies (6), as reviewed previously, is dated recently however
Education (4) is not dated as recent since it was published in 2010. This year of
publication in relation to when Science Buddies (6) was published is rather
outdated but can still be reviewed and of use as there have not been any new
advancements on how to measure the sugar in fruit using a refractometer. This
2
BTEC L3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN APPLIED SCIENCE
Unit 6: Investigative Project
Introduction
In this paper, the sugar content in ripening bananas has been researched to
investigate the differences and/or similarities in sugar concentration in ripening
bananas. The ripening of bananas refers to the point when bananas are ready to
be eaten.
Bananas that have not been ripened consist mainly of starch, for example, green
bananas have, on average, around 70-80% starch (5). The starch content in
these bananas decreases as they ripen since they are converted into sugars.
Sugars found in bananas include sucrose, fructose, and galactose and in ripened
bananas, the content of sugars can weigh over 15% of the weight of the bananas
(5).
Agriculturally, it is important to know when bananas are at the correct ripeness
(sweetness) so that they can be distributed commercially, considering the
duration of the packaging, transportation process and taste for the customer.
This will be further investigated as the project becomes complete.
Literature review
Preclaboratories (5)
Preclaboratories (5) is an online site for the manufacturing company, Precision
Laboratories, and they produced a method for measuring the sugar content in
bananas. This method involves using glucose test strips to test the glucose
content of bananas of differing ripeness. The glucose test strip indicates the
concentration of glucose found in the banana samples and this is then recorded
for each sample and retested.
This method from Preclaboratories has not been peer-reviewed however another
site confirms this method which has credits to David Whyte, an individual with a
PhD (6). This site is Science Buddies which is a provider of science educational
resources and a public charity.
Both sites are very up-to-date as they are both dated in recent years,
Preclaboratories is dated to 2018 and Science Buddies is dated to 2022. This
demonstrates that the information on both these sites is reliable to use as they
have been published recently.
The origin of the primary source is diagnostic expert developers which help to
confirm how reliable Preclaboratories is as well as determine the accuracy of the
information provided. In relation to this, Precision Laboratories have a research
development lab which aims at improving the quality of their test strips and
other laboratory products. This shows how focused they are as a manufacturer
on ensuring the quality of the products they manufacture is continuously being
improved at their research development lab.
The perspective of Precision Laboratories is from a scientific perspective as they
have employees with careers in laboratories as well as research laboratories.
This has importance as it means that their view of the products they produce is
1
, H.
BTEC L3 EXTENDED DIPLOMA IN APPLIED SCIENCE
Unit 6: Investigative Project
based on scientific knowledge and expertise, making Precision Laboratories a
reliable source to use as part of this investigative project.
In terms of context, Precision Laboratories was founded in 1932 and has become
a ‘staple in the scientific community’, distributing its products globally (5). This
presents them as an experienced laboratory manufacturer as they have been
distributing and producing test strips for more than 80 years. In addition to this,
research has been ongoing for a long period, increasing their knowledge of their
products and their expertise in them. This also has significant importance as the
method they produced is recognised as an example of a reliable method
produced by a reliable source.
Precision Laboratories targets customers who aim to use test strips for either,
industrial or laboratory reasons, for example, testing water or cosmetics. They
provide these customers with testing products to fulfil their testing requirements
of customers and educate their customers. This indicates how reliable this
source is as they have the sole purpose of supplying their customers with test
strips for industrial/laboratory use.
This source is useful as part of this investigative project as it consists of a well-
structured method on how to measure the sugar content of ripening bananas
using glucose test strips as well as the list of equipment required to carry out
this investigation. This method, however, is unsuitable as liquids can only be
tested on glucose strips and in this investigation, bananas will be used so they
won't be able to be transferred into the glucose strips.
Education (4)
Education (4) is another online site which provides learning resources and lists a
science project on how to measure sugar in fruit using a refractometer-
equipment used to measure the concentration of sugar. This science project
included a method where bananas of differing ripeness are converted into liquid
form to be tested in a refractometer. The results produced by the refractometer
are recorded and presented in a graph where the y-axis displays the readings of
the refractometer, and the x-axis shows the time.
The method listed by this site can be backed up by another online source as they
also produced a method using a refractometer to measure the sugar content of
bananas (6). This site was previously mentioned before under the section
‘Preclaboratories, 2018’ and was used to back up the method listed on the site. It
was found that Science Buddies (6) included similar methods to help back up the
sources researched in this literature search and review. As a result, Science
Buddies (6) was able to confirm the reliability of the method provided by
Education as it was reviewed that they were both very similar in terms of the
objectives and steps included.
Science Buddies (6), as reviewed previously, is dated recently however
Education (4) is not dated as recent since it was published in 2010. This year of
publication in relation to when Science Buddies (6) was published is rather
outdated but can still be reviewed and of use as there have not been any new
advancements on how to measure the sugar in fruit using a refractometer. This
2
