Question

A student observes a flask containing a mixture of yeast, water, and a carbohydrate; the top of the flask is covered by a balloon. After 30 minutes what waste products would she expect to find in the flask and balloon?

Answer 1

After 30 minutes of observing a flask containing yeast, water, and a carbohydrate covered with a balloon, the student would expect to find the following waste products:

1. Carbon dioxide (CO2): Yeast undergoes fermentation in the presence of carbohydrates, producing CO2 as a waste product. The balloon may have inflated or expanded due to the accumulation of carbon dioxide gas.

2. Ethanol (alcohol): Depending on the specific type of fermentation, yeast can also produce ethanol as a waste product. This may not be as readily visible as CO2, but it would be present in the liquid inside the flask.

These waste products are the result of the yeast metabolizing the carbohydrate through fermentation.