What Does Biodegradable Mean?
Biodegradable substances are generally organic, which means they are alive or were alive, such as plants and animals, substances originating from living organisms, or artificial materials that are similar enough to plant and animal matter to be digested by organic organisms, including worms and microorganisms.
Starch Packing Peanuts are an example of a biodegradable product.
More Fun With Starch Peanuts
1. In small bowl, add about 1/4 cup of tap water.
2. Add one packing noodle at a time–stir to see what happens. (If you have any of the other types of packing noodles–test them in a separate bowl). For fun: How many will dissolve?
Results: The starch noodles dissolve in the water forming a Solution.
Solute (starch peanuts) + Solvent (water) = Solution (starch and water mixture)
Test for Starch
1. You need two bowls, one with the starch solution in it and the second with only tap water.
2. Add one drop of tincture of iodine to each of the bowls. Swirl or stir to mix. (The milky starch solution turns to a very dark blue-black color.The water has an amber color–same as the iodine.)
TIP
If you get iodine on your skin and want to remove the stain–use a cotton swap dampened with a solution of dechlor used to remove chlorine in the water for fish. Rub the wet cotton over the stain. Voila” it should be gone.
Why? The chemical in dechlor is sodium thiosulfate which reacts with the iodine in tincture of iodine. The reaction changes the colored iodine to a colorless form.