What it shows
Pure honey is a very concentrated sugar solution with little free water, so it behaves differently from honey diluted with sugar syrup: it sinks as a lump in water instead of spreading, is not soaked into blotting paper, and forms a thread between the fingers. Running the tests on branded, local and home-made syrup samples shows what each test can and cannot tell.
The science
Honey is about 80 percent sugars, mainly fructose and glucose, with only 17 to 18 percent water, giving it high density and viscosity. Dropped into water it stays together and sinks slowly because it is dense and dissolves slowly. Its low free water means it does not wet blotting paper quickly. Honey adulterated with thinner syrup or extra water has more free water, so it spreads, soaks in and runs. These tests show water content and viscosity only; a well-made thick syrup can pass them, so they are indicative rather than final proof.
Materials
Cost: under Rs 200. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- Three honey samples of 2 spoons each from different sources
- A sugar syrup made by dissolving 7 spoons of sugar in 3 spoons of warm water (adult pours warm water)
- Four glasses of water
- Blotting paper or a tissue
- A spoon and a dropper
- A kitchen balance, optional
- Labels
Safety
For this project: An adult must handle warm water for the syrup. Do not taste samples that have been on blotting paper or in glasses.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
All the safety rulesStep by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
Label the glasses and gently drop one spoon of each sample into the water without stirring.
Watch for one minute: pure honey sinks as a lump and stays at the bottom; thin syrup spreads into cloudy streaks.
Put one drop of each sample on blotting paper and after two minutes check whether a wet ring has spread around it.
Dip a finger in each sample, touch it to your thumb and pull apart slowly; note whether a thread forms.
If a balance is available, weigh exactly 10 ml of each sample to compare density.
Make a table with one row per sample and one column per test, marking pass or fail.
Discuss which tests the home-made syrup passed, which shows the limits of the tests.
Write a conclusion that ranks samples by likely purity while stating that only laboratory analysis is conclusive.
What you should see
Thick genuine honey sinks as a lump, leaves no wet ring and forms a thread, while the sugar syrup spreads in water and soaks into paper; a very thick syrup may pass the thread test, which the report records as a limitation.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
1Why does pure honey sink as a lump?
It is dense and viscous with very little free water, so it dissolves slowly.
2What does the blotting paper test detect?
Free water, which spreads into the paper from diluted honey.
3Can a sugar syrup pass these tests?
A very thick syrup can pass some of them, so the tests are only indicative.
4What is honey mainly made of?
Fructose and glucose with about 17 to 18 percent water.
Take it further
Keep a spoon of each sample open for a week and compare how much each one crystallises; real honey often does.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
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