Activity 1 PS-2820

Teacher Notes Activity 1: Energy Content of Food

Time Estimates Preparation: 30 min Activity: 30 min
O!ectives
Students will be able to
use a Temperature Probe to measure the change in temperature of water that is heated by a burning
sample of food
calculate the amount of thermal energy absorbed by the water
compare the energy content of the food samples they test
Notes
Sensor calibration is good laboratory practice. However, this activity deals only with
relative changes in measurements. It is not necessary to calibrate the Fast-Response
Temperature robe.
!e aware o" students who have a "ood allergy #e.g., allergy to peanuts$.
This is a %smelly& lab because o" the burning "ood, so plan accordingly.
Remind your students to be care"ul when using the matches and wooden splints.
'ncourage your students to remain still while the "ood is burning so that the "lames "rom
the "ood samples ma(e contact with the bottom o" the aluminum can.
) calorie is the amount o" energy it ta(es to raise the temperature o" one gram o" water by one
degree *elsius. The %"ood calorie& + indicated by *alorie + is one thousand times larger. The
*alorie is the unit "ound on "ood pac(aging. #, *alorie - ,... calories - /,01 2oules.$
"amp#e $ata
The screenshots show temperature data "or the (nown 3uantity o" water warmed by burning a
peanut and by burning a cashew nut.
iology with !plorer "#! Teacher $otes % 200& PASCO p' 1()
Pean%t Cashe&
Activity 1 Teacher $otes - *nergy +ontent of ,ood PS-2820
'a (eport ) Activity 1: Energy Content of Foods
Answers and Sample Data
Pre)'a *%estions
)ll human activity re3uires 4burning5 "ood "or energy. 6hen samples o" di""erent (inds o" "ood
are burned, which o" the "ood samples will produce the most energy7
,. 8arshmallow7 *ashew7 opcorn7 6hich "ood sample will produce the most energy7
9. How will you compare one "ood sample to another7
:. 6ill the amount o" mass o" the "ood sample ma(e a di""erence7
/. 6ill the time that the "ood ta(es to burn ma(e a di""erence7
Student answers will vary depending on their experience with the food samples. The purpose of
the activity is to compare the energy given off by each sample as it is burned.
$ata Ta#e
+tem "amp#e 1
marshmallow
"amp#e ,
popcorn
"amp#e 3
----------
"amp#e .
-----------
-ass of empty container 48.49 g 48.40 g g g
-ass of container . water 98.35 g 98.33 g g g
-ass of water 49.95 g 49.93 g g g
/nitial mass of sample . holder 7.69 g 7.41 g g g
,inal mass of sample . holder 7.30 g 7.19 g g g
+hange of mass0 food sample 0.39 g 0.22 g g g
/nitial temperature 22.8 C 23.3 C + +
,inal temperature 24.2 C 30.7 C + +
Temperature change0 1T 1.4 C 7.4 C + +
2eat0 3 0.2923 kJ 1.5444 kJ 45 45
*nergy content 6heat7mass8 0.7495 kJ/g 7.0202 kJ/g 457g 457g
C#ass (es%#ts Ta#e: Average Energy Content for each food type:
Food Type -------------- -------------- -------------- --------------
*nergy content 457g 457g 457g 457g
iology with !plorer "#! Teacher $otes % 200& PASCO p' 1(8
Activity 1 Teacher $otes - *nergy +ontent of ,ood PS-2820
$ata
8a(e a s(etch o" a graph o" one run o" data "or temperature versus time, including labels "or the
y- and ;-a;es.
*%estions
,. 6hich "ood had the highest energy content7
In this example, the popcorn had the highest energy content at 7.0202 ! per g.
9. 6hich "ood had the lowest energy content7
In this example, the marshmallow had the lowest energy content at 0.7"#$ ! per g.
:. Food energy is e;pressed in a unit called a %alorie. There are /.,0 (ilo2oules #or /,0.
2oules$ in one *alorie. !ased on the class average "or peanuts, calculate the number o"
*alories in a <.-gram pac(age o" peanuts.
&nswers will vary.

+alories 9
:::::::45
g
+alorie
;'1845

50

/. Two o" the "oods in the activity have a high fat content #peanuts and cashews$ and two
have a high carbohydrate content #marshmallows and popcorn$. From your results, what
can you conclude about the relative energy content o" fats and carbohydrates7
In this example, the results demonstrate that the food sample that contains fat has the higher
energy content.
<. 6hat advice would you give to a sports team about the energy content o" these "oods7
&nswers will vary. Students should conclude that the food with the highest amount of heat 'in !(
per mass 'g( has the most energy content of the foods they tested.
iology with !plorer "#! Teacher $otes % 200& PASCO p' 1(<
Time
Temperature
See Sample =ata in
Teacher $otes
Activity 1 Teacher $otes - *nergy +ontent of ,ood PS-2820
1. =o you thin( that all o" the energy released by the burning "ood sample was absorbed by
the water7
)ot all of the energy released by the burning food is absorbed by the water.
>. 6hy or why not7
Some of the energy released by the burning food is transferred to the air, the aluminum can, and
the food holder instead of the water.
0. 6hat are some things you would do to change the procedure in this activity7
Suggestions might include insulating the setup so less energy is transferred to the air, or
measuring the temperature change of the aluminum can and the food holder in order to
determine how much of the energy they absorb. This suggestion can lead to exploration of
specific heat and heat capacity for different substances.
iology with !plorer "#! Teacher $otes % 200& PASCO p' 1;0