Overview of the project

In this project, students would learn how to extract caffeine (C8H10N4O2) from beverages which is an example of a type of organic weak base called an alkaloid which means ‘alkali-like’. Caffeine is a stimulant found naturally in tea, coffee and kola nuts. Other examples of alkaloids include cocaine (a drug of abuse), strychnine (a poison), morphine (a pain killer), piperine (found in black pepper) and quinine (used to treat malaria and added to tonic). Based on the examples given above, it can be deduced that alkaloids can be beneficial and harmful to others.