HULLAHALLI, SAKKALWARA P O

BANGALORE-83

2025 - 2026

PROJECT
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

CHEMISTRY COURSEWORK

CBSE CLASS XI

Submitted by

Unique ID:
 HULLAHALLI, SAKKALWARA P O

BANGALORE-83

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Project Report is a bonafide record submitted by

……………………………………… in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
the Chemistry course work of class XII CBSE.

Teacher –in-charge ​ ​ ​ External Examiner

Christ Academy CBSE School
Hullahalli, Sakkalwara P O
Bangalore- 83

Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many people have helped and

supported me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each one of them.

Primarily, I would like to thank my Chemistry teacher Ms. Shweta Thirumeni and

our Principal Dr. Sebastian for their guidance and support.

Secondly, I express my humble gratitude to the God Almighty and my parents for

standing by me through wind and storm. Concluding this acknowledgement, I

sincerely thank all my friends at Christ Academy CBSE School, Hullahalli, for

their timely counsel and advice, not to mention the moral support, which was vital

in the successful completion of this work.

HONEY ANALYSIS
 CONTENTS
❖​AIM

❖​INTRODUCTION

❖​THEORY

❖​EXPERIMENT 1

❖​EXPERIMENT 2

❖​EXPERIMENT 3

❖​EXPERIMENT 4

❖​FEHLING’S TEST

❖​TOLLEN’S TEST

❖​OBSERVATION

❖​RESULT

❖​CONCLUSION

❖​BIBLIOGRAPHY
 AIM

To Analyse the Available Honey for

Presence of Different Minerals and
Carbohydrates
 INTRODUCTION

Honey is a thick, sweet, supersaturated sugar solution produced by bees from

flower nectar, primarily to feed larvae and sustain the colony during winter.

Its physical properties include high viscosity, hygroscopicity (ability to absorb

moisture), and a density of about 1.4 kg/L. It typically appears golden to dark
brown, depending on floral source, and may crystallize over time.

Chemically, honey is primarily composed of fructose (38%) and glucose (31%),

with small amounts of water (17-20%), sucrose, and other sugars. It contains trace
enzymes (e.g., invertase, glucose oxidase), organic acids (gluconic acid), and
antioxidants like flavonoids. Its low pH (3.4–6.1) and high osmotic pressure inhibit
microbial growth, contributing to its long shelf life.

In this project, we aim to identify whether certain ions, carbohydrates and sugars
are present within different brands of honey by performing chemical tests.
 THEORY

Honey, characterized by its sweet taste, is a natural product that does not contain
artificial substances. It is a semi-liquid sugar solution that is used as a popular
substitute for sugars. Honey is collected by bees from the nectar from flowers and
plants and stored in combs. Honey has been known since ancient times for its
nutritional and therapeutic properties. Honey is a composition of sugars ( mainly
glucose and fructose) as well as 20% of water and a small percentage of proteins,
enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and volatile compounds . Honey is rich
in many health-promoting nutrients, which are carbohydrates, potassium, iron, and
zinc. It has therapeutic properties i.e., anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and
anti-inflammatory, and is also a powerful natural antioxidant. In Oman, Honey is
produced by two types of bees, Apis florea (Omani Dwarf bees) and Apis mellifera
(Omani domesticated bees). The good quality among the different varieties of
honey is Al-Baram or Al-Sumer (Acacia tortilis) and Sidr (Ziziphus) honey.

The composition of honey varies according to the diversity of bees, the region, the
season, the source of the nectar, as well as the method of harvesting and storage .
As honey is an essential daily-life dietary supplement, it is important to evaluate its
quality to ensure its purity and to make sure that it has all nutritional components
present in it. This quality control evaluation can be done by assessing
physicochemical parameters such as the pH, moisture, ash value,
hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and colour, etc., to evaluate and test the purity of
marketed honey. The pH and the total acidity measure the quality of the honey
product and pH is not directly related to the acidity due to buffering action by the
minerals and acids present in the honey . Moisture test helps in determining water
content inside honey components which affects honey stability against fermentation
and granulation. In addition, moisture testing can help the honey producer to
maintain the proper storage and transport conditions . Ash content which is another
physicochemical parameter is used to evaluate richness of the honey in minerals
content and it is widely used in nutritional aspects. Honey contains a lot of
bioactive compounds including, phenols, flavonoids, vitamins, organic acids, and
carotenoids, that may potentiate the antioxidant effects of honey. The bioactive
compounds showed antioxidant activity by the mechanism of either scavenging free
radicals, quenching singlet oxygen, or chelation of the radicals or metal ions.

Honey has been used since ancient times for both domestic consumption and
fulfilling medical needs. The rich antioxidant properties of honey due to its high
phenolic contents, flavonoids, and presence of catalase, glucose oxidase, ascorbic
acid, organic acid, amino acids, and carotenoids derivatives make it more popular
recently as a source of antioxidants. Honey, a rich source of antioxidants works
both orally or topically as a cough suppressant, to treat burns and infections. It can
be used for immune boosting, antimicrobial, and relieving stress and anxiety. It has
a preventive role in the progression of neurological diseases, cancers,
cardiovascular diseases, and aging.
 EXPERIMENT 1

AIM:

To test the given sample of honey and check for the presence of Potassium in it.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Honey sample, picric acid.

PROCEDURE:

1.​ 2 mL of honey is taken in a test tube, and picric acid solution is added.
2.​ Presence of a yellow precipitate indicates the presence of K+ ion.
 EXPERIMENT 2

AIM:

2+
To test the given sample of honey and check for the presence of Calcium (𝐶𝑎 )

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Honey Sample, Ammonium chloride, Ammonium hydroxide, 2mL of ammonium

oxalate, test tubes

PROCEDURE:

1.​ 2mL of honey is taken in a test tube 𝑁𝐻4𝐶𝑙 , and 𝑁𝐻4𝑂𝐻 the solution is
added to it.
2.​ The solution is filtered, and filtered 2mL of ammonium oxalate is added.
2+
3.​ White ppt or milkiness indicates the presence of 𝐶𝑎 ions
 EXPERIMENT 3

AIM:

To test a given sample of honey and check for the presence of magnesium (Mg2+)
within it.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Honey sample, NH4Cl, (NH4)3PO4, bunsen burner, test tubes

PROCEDURE:

1.​ Take 2 mL of honey in a test tube and add NH4OH solution to it.
2.​ Add excess ammonium phosphate to the prepared mixture.
3.​ Scratch the inner walls of the test tube.
4.​ Presence of a white precipitate indicates the presence of Magnesium (Mg2+)
 EXPERIMENT 4
AIM:

To test a given sample of honey and check for the presence of Iron (Fe) within it.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Honey sample, conc. HNO3, KSCN (Potassium sulphocyanide), bunsen burner, test
tubes

PROCEDURE:

1.​ Take 2 mL of honey in a test tube along with 2-3 drops of concentrated nitric
acid (HNO3) and heat it.
2.​ Let the contents cool and add 2-3 drops of potassium thiocyanide solution
(KSCN)
3.​ Blood red colouration shows the presence of Iron (Fe2+).
 FEHLING’S TEST

AIM:

To test a given sample of honey for the presence of reducing sugars.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

Honey sample, Fehling’s solution, test tubes, Bunsen burner

PROCEDURE:

1.​ 2mL of honey is taken in a test tube and 1mL of Fehling’s solution A and
Fehling’s solution B are added to it and boiled.
2.​ Red precipitate indicates the presence of reducing sugars
 TOLLEN’S TEST

AIM:

To test a given sample of honey and check for the presence of reducing sugars within it
using Tollens’ reagent.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

​
Honey sample, Tollens’ reagent, boiling water bath, test tubes, pipette.

PROCEDURE:
​
1. Take 2 – 3 mL of aqueous honey solution in a clean test tube.​
2. Add 2 – 3 mL of freshly prepared Tollens’ reagent to the tube.​
3. Place the test tube in a boiling water bath and maintain for about ten minutes.​
4. A shining (silver) mirror forming on the inner walls of the test tube indicates the
presence of reducing carbohydrates.
 OBSERVATION TABLE
EXP EXPERIMENT PROCEDURE OBSERVATION INFERENCE
NO
1.​ Identification of To 2mL of honey, Yellow precipitate K+ is present in
K+ ion in honey add picric acid formed. the honey
solution. sample.
2.​ Identification of To 2mL of honey, White precipitate Ca2+ is present in
Ca2+ ion in honey add NH4Cl and or milkiness is the honey
NH4OH solution. seen. sample.
Filter it and add NH4
3.​ Identification of To 2mL of honey add White ppt is Mg2+ is present in
Mg2+ ion in honey NH4OH solution and formed. the honey
excess (NH4)3PO4 sample.
solution.
4.​ Identification of To 2mL of honey add Blood red colour Fe2+ is present in
Fe2+ ion in honey 2-3 drops of formation. the honey
conc.HNO3 and heat. sample.
Then add KSCN
solution.
5.​ Identification of To 2mL of honey, Red precipitate is Reducing sugars
reducing sugars in add Fehling’s formed. are present in the
honey solution A and honey sample.
Fehling’s solution B,
and boil it.
6.​ Identification of 2-3 mL of aqueous Shining mirror Reducing sugars
reducing honey solution is like solution is are present in the
carbohydrates in mixed with 2-3mL of formed. honey sample.
honey Tollen’s reagent, and
kept in boiling water
bath.
 RESULT
The required analysis for identifying the presence of different ions, carbohydrates
and sugars in a given honey sample has been made.
 CONCLUSION

The comprehensive analysis of honey provides essential information

regarding its safety, authenticity, and nutritional quality. Physico‑chemical
parameters such as moisture content, pH, acidity, and HMF levels offer
reliable indicators of honey’s freshness, degree of processing, and resistance
to fermentation. Mineral profiling—especially iron, magnesium, copper,
calcium,copper etc. helps confirm compliance with regulatory standards and
reveals botanical and geographic origins .

Our findings demonstrate that for the honey sample to be met with all the
established quality benchmarks: moisture was to be below the threshold for
fermentation risk, pH and acidity fell has to fall within acceptable ranges, and
metal concentrations to be adhered to EU/Codex [Link] presence of
reducing sugars, iron, and magnesium confirms nutritional value, while a
positive Tollens’ test indicates active carbohydrate content.
It is important to emphasize that relying solely on visual inspection at
purchase is insufficient, as contaminants and adulterants may be present at
undetectable levels . Regular chemical testing and biological activity
screening ensure both consumer safety and the therapeutic integrity of honey.

In summary, these chemical tests are the backbone of honey quality checks.
They measure key features like moisture, acidity, minerals, natural sugars,
and signs of overheating. By looking at these markers, everyone from
shoppers to producers and regulators can reliably check honey’s quality, spot
fake or tampered products, and make sure what’s on the shelf is genuine and
safe to eat.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. National Honey Board, USA - [Link]

2. Wikipedia - [Link]

3. [Link]

4. [Link]

5. [Link]

6. [Link]

7. [Link]

8. [Link]