Measuring the Energy Value in Food Essay

Aim : To measure the energy value in different types of food, which are macaroni, bread, spaghetti, rice and French fries Hypothesis : The energy levels in different food will vary, because of the different components such as carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, etc. However, for this experiment, I will use foods that contain one common ingredient, which is carbohydrate. Usually, food with the most carbohydrate will give the most amount of energy, since that is undetermined in this experiment; I assume that the food with the highest energy level is the one with the most types of ingredient. Variables : – Independent Variable o Types of food – Dependent Variable o Temperature change of the water above the burning food – Controlled Variable o Mass of food o Angle of incident o Distance from burning food to the test tube o Mass of water Apparatus : – Test Tube – Bunsen Burner – 5 Types of food (French fries, macaroni, spaghetti, rice, bread) – Wooden Clamp – Metal Spoon – Retort Stand – Thermometer – Measuring Cylinder – Distilled Water – Digital Balance Methods : 1. Measure 10ml of water using a measuring cylinder and put it in a test tube. 2. Clamp the test tube on the retort stand for 45o and measure the temperature of the water in the test tube, note it down. 3. Weigh the food sample for 1 gram and record it down. 4. Place the food on a metal spoon and light it on fire using a Bunsen burner. 5. When the food starts burning, place it 1 cm below the test tube, if it goes off, light it as soon as possible. 6. When the food stops burning, measure the temperature of the water in the test tube and note it down. 7. Repeat the experiment for 2 more times for each food sample. Recording Raw Data : Table of Initial and Final Temperature of Water for Each Food Sample Food Sample Initial Temperature (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1oC Final Temperature (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ oC Spaghetti 24 – Macaroni 25 – Rice 24 – Bread 24 – Processing Raw Data and Presenting Processed Data : Table of Temperature Change of Water for Each Food Sample Food Sample Initial Temperature (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1oC Final Temperature (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1oC Temperature Change (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1oC Spaghetti 24 – – Macaroni 25 – – Rice 24 – – Bread 24 – – Table of Energy Values in Food Food Sample Temperature Change (oC) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 1oC Mass (g) à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ 0.01g Spaghetti – 1 No solution Macaroni – 1 No solution Rice – 1 No solution Bread – 1 No solution Conclusion : For this experiment, it turned out that the food sample was not able to catch on fire, causing flame available to increase the water temperature in the test tube. For one or two samples, the food was caught on fire, but it did not last long. All in all, this experiment could be claimed as a failure. Evaluating Procedure(s) : When doing this experiment, there seems to be no problem with the procedures. However, when trying to get the food on fire, the food was not able to burn without being above the Bunsen. Therefore, there might be a few things causing this problem. For instance, the indirect contact between the flames from the Bunsen burner with the food might be one of the causes why the food did not burn. Moreover, the amount of food sample might also affect the experiment, maybe the amount, which is 1 gram, is too much. Improving the Investigation : To improve this experiment, some things can be done. For example, rather than burning the food on a spoon, a needle can be used instead, allowing direct contact between the food and the flame. Another thing that can be fixed is the amount of food. For this experiment, I set a standard weight, which is 1 gram; maybe if the mass was smaller, like 1/4 grams, the food can be completely combusted.