A Science Project on Ethylene Gas

What is Ethylene Gas?

• Fruit and vegetables create ethylene gas naturally. The gas reacts with the fruit to make it ripen and eventually over-ripen. Ethylene is an odorless and colorless gas that can also be made artificially; this is often used to quicken the ripening process.

Effect of Different Food Containers on Ethylene's Effects

• Choose an unripened fruit or vegetable for your experiment and purchase four. Place one in a zip lock bag, one in a paper lunch bag, one in a sealed plastic box and one in a green bag, which the manufacturer claims will absorb ethylene gas. Monitor the fruit or vegetables until they are ripened and then over-ripened. Record the date and time when the changes happened in each case to decide which container counteracts the effects of ethylene gas the best.

Effects of Light on Ethylene Gas Performance

• Lay out four of your chosen unripened, identical fruit or vegetables on a table. This should be in a dark area, like a room with the windows covered up and the lights turned off. Position desk lamps aiming at each fruit or vegetable and then erect cardboard walls between each one so that each light only shines on its target. To create a range of brightness levels, ensure that all lights contain a bulb with a different wattage. Monitor the fruit as it ripens and then goes bad. Make sure to record the date and time that these events take place and the bulb wattages used.

How Ethylene Gas Affects Different Fruit and Vegetables

• Assemble a variety of unripened fruit and vegetables and place them in separate containers. It's vital for this project that all of the fruit and vegetables are kept in exactly the same environmental conditions, such as temperature, light and storage container. Regularly monitor the fruit and vegetables and record when they ripen and then over-ripen. Make a table showing the results of how much ethylene gas effects different fruit and vegetables over time.