Case Study:

Riya noticed something unusual in her kitchen during summer vacation. Her mother had kept a few raw mangoes and pears in a basket beside ripe bananas. After only two days, the raw fruits became soft, yellowish, and sweet-smelling even though no chemicals were sprayed on them. Curious about this fast ripening process, Riya searched for the reason behind it.

She discovered that ripe bananas release a natural carbon compound called ethene (C₂H₄), which acts as a plant hormone and speeds up fruit ripening. Carbon plays an incredible role in everything from nature's biology to industrial materials. If you've ever wondered why this specific element is behind so many everyday phenomena, dive into our guide on why carbon is called the king of elements in chemistry to explore its unique versatility.  Ethene belongs to a homologous series called alkenes, where each member contains a carbon-carbon double bond.

Visualizing how these double bonds share electrons can make organic chemistry much easier to grasp. Check out these fun ways to understand covalent bonding with diagrams to get a clear, visual breakdown of how these molecular connections form.

Members of a homologous series show similar chemical properties because they contain the same functional group. However, their physical properties change gradually with increasing molecular mass.

To understand the effect of ethene, Riya observed the ripening of mangoes kept under different conditions:

Basket A – Mangoes kept alone – 7 days
Basket B – Mangoes kept with ripe bananas – 3 days
Basket C – Mangoes kept in refrigerator – 10 days
Basket D – Mangoes kept in an airtight box with bananas – 2 days

Riya concluded that both the presence and concentration of ethene affect ripening speed. She also learned that carbon compounds in everyday life are not limited to fuels and plastics but are involved in biological processes, too.

This investigation helped her connect NCERT chemistry concepts with real-life observations happening daily at home.

Just like fruit ripening, cleaning agent interactions are another fascinating way chemistry shows up in your household chores. To master another highly tested board exam topic, read our comparison of soaps vs detergents, what class 10 chemistry teaches us about their chemical differences.

CASE-BASED QUESTIONS

 MCQ 

Q1. Which carbon compound released by bananas helps in fruit ripening?
A. Ethanol
B. Ethanoic acid
C. Ethene
D. Methane

Q2. Ethene belongs to which homologous series?
A. Alkanes
B. Alkenes
C. Alkynes
D. Alcohols

 Assertion - Reason 

Q3. Assertion (A): Fruits ripen faster in Basket D than in Basket A.
Reason (R): A higher concentration of ethene increases the rate of fruit ripening.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C. A is true, but R is false.
D. A is false, but R is true.

 Application-Based  

Q4. Why did the fruits in Basket C take the longest time to ripen?
A. Refrigerators remove all carbon compounds
B. Low temperature slows down the action of ethene
C. Fruits cannot respire inside refrigerators
D. Bananas absorb moisture in cold conditions

Q5. A fruit seller wants to naturally ripen guavas quickly without harmful chemicals. Based on the case study, which method would be most suitable?
A. Keep guavas under direct sunlight only
B. Store guavas with ripe bananas in a closed container
C. Wash guavas repeatedly with water
D. Keep guavas in an empty refrigerator

 Data/Logic-Based 

Q6. Calculate how many days earlier the mangoes ripened in Basket D compared to Basket A. What does this suggest?

A. 3 days earlier; ethene has no role
B. 4 days earlier; ethene concentration speeds ripening
C. 5 days earlier; ethene concentration speeds ripening
D. 6 days earlier; oxygen alone controls ripening

 Application + Reasoning  

Q7. A student keeps raw tomatoes in two separate boxes. One box contains ripe bananas while the other does not. Predict which tomatoes will ripen faster and explain the reason.

ANSWER KEY WITH EXPLANATION

A1. C. Ethene
Explanation: Ethene is a natural carbon compound released by ripe bananas. It acts as a plant hormone and accelerates fruit ripening.

A2. B. Alkenes
Explanation: Ethene contains a carbon-carbon double bond, which is the characteristic feature of alkenes in a homologous series.

A3. A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Explanation: Basket D is airtight, so the ethene concentration becomes higher. Increased ethene speeds up fruit ripening.

A4. B. Low temperature slows down the action of ethene
Explanation: Refrigeration reduces enzyme activity and slows the effect of ethene on fruits, delaying ripening.

A5. B. Store guavas with ripe bananas in a closed container
Explanation: Ripe bananas release ethene gas, which naturally promotes faster ripening of nearby fruits.

A6. C. 5 days earlier; ethene concentration speeds ripening
Explanation: Basket A took 7 days while Basket D took 2 days. The difference of 5 days shows that a higher ethene concentration increases ripening speed.

A7. Tomatoes kept with ripe bananas will ripen faster.
Explanation: Ripe bananas release ethene gas, which accelerates the ripening process in nearby fruits such as tomatoes.

 Ready to Ace Your Exams? 
Don't stop your preparation here! Regular practice is the secret to scoring perfect marks in Class 10 Chemistry. Boost your confidence by exploring these targeted study materials:
Test your independent problem-solving skills with a Class 10 Chemistry unsolved practice paper.
Review step-by-step marking schemes and solutions using a Class 10 Chemistry solved practice paper.
Reinforce your understanding of core chapters with a comprehensive Class 10 Chemistry worksheet.

HOTS EXTENSION QUESTIONS

Q1. If unripe fruits are kept in a room with continuous air ventilation, how would the ripening process change? Explain scientifically.

Q2. Farmers sometimes use artificial ripening methods for fruits. Compare natural ripening using ethene with chemical ripening methods in terms of safety and effectiveness.