If extracting betacarotein from a carrot, which produces more? A whole carrot or a chopped carrot? Reason?

Question

Using hexthane and aqueous ethanol as solvent to extract the betacarotein, which would rise to the top of a beaker?

Answer 1

If the amounts of the whole carrot and the chopped up carrot are the same, then you will extract the same amount of betacarotein from both eventually. However in a certain time, you will get more from the chopped up carrot because its surface area is greater than the whole one, and so more betacarotein can be extracted in a particular time.

Answer 2

Actually to extract beta carotene one would chop/crush the carrot and then mix the "mash" with the appropriate solvents. Thus, it would be immaterial whether the carrot was whole or chopped at the onset of the extraction. Unless of course the whole was larger than the chopped carrot and visa versa.

Answer 3

the amount available in the carrot is the same (chopped or unchopped), if there is the same amount of carrot total

however, the time it takes to extract is less if the carrot is chopped because there is more surface area for the extractant

Answer 4

chopped. more surface area