A Wonderleaf question
Why do apples turn brown after cutting?
a real page from the book
Cut apples turn brown because cutting breaks open their cells, letting plant chemicals, an enzyme, and oxygen meet. Together they make new brown-colored substances on the apple's surface. The fruit has not spoiled; the color is a quick chemical change.
The neat part is that you can slow the change. Acidic lemon juice, cooler temperatures, or covering the cut side all make it harder for the enzyme or oxygen to do their work. The same kind of browning shows up in sliced potatoes and avocados.
Wonder words
- enzyme
- oxygen
- cells
- reaction
Try it out
Cut one apple slice, cover another, and compare their colors after dinner.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
Open the picture bookKeep wondering
- How is chocolate made?
- How is cheese made?
- Why do fruits taste sweeter when they are ripe?
- Why do we cook food?
- Why does salt make food taste different?
- Why does toast turn brown?
And the next question?
Ask anything — Wonderleaf writes and illustrates a picture book for it. That's the whole idea.
Ask your own question