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Experiment 10- Calorimetry of Foods

Introduction Animals obtain the energy necessary for life from food. Food is oxidized to carbon dioxide and water with an associated release of energy. Fortunately for us, our cells convert much of this energy into useful work, instead of releasing all of it as heat. Using glucose as an example, nearly half of the energy content of glucose is converted to useful energy in our bodies. In contrast, a car engine converts less than 10% of the energy content of gasoline into mechanical energy and releases the rest as heat. Hess' Law tells us that in going from a specific reactant to a specific product, the same amount of energy will be released (or consumed) regardless of the pathway. Most of the carbon atoms in a peanut, for example, will be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water in our bodies- providing a certain number of calories of energy. The same amount of energy is released by burning the peanut to produce these same products. This heat can be used to heat a known mass of water. The temperature change of the water can be used to calculate the amount of energy added to the water. Since the energy added to the water came from the combustion of the peanut, we know how much energy was released from the peanut assuming all of the energy was transferred. Different types of foods have different energy contents. Glucose has approximately 4 Calories of energy per gram. Fat (triglycerides) on the other hand have about 9 Calories per gram. Ethanol has 7 Calories of energy per gram. A nutritional Calorie (listed on food labels) is 1 kcal or 1000 calories. Foods with a high fat content will be most effective in this experiment. Apparatus Suspend a 12 oz. soda can on a ring stand as shown below.

50 Laboratory Activities A. B. Use calorimetry to determine the energy content of a peanut Determine the energy content of a second food item.

Preparation Peanuts will be available for use in the lab. Each group should bring an appropriate second item to test. Other nuts (e.g. cashews) work well as do cheese puffs, cheese wafers, and various (greasy) chips. Procedure 1. Weigh the modified soft drink can. Pour about 50 mL of water into the soft drink can. Reweigh the can and record the mass of water as accurately as possible. 2. Suspend the can as shown previously in the diagram. 3. Accurately measure the temperature of the water. 4. Weigh a peanut and place it on the end of a needle or hold it using forceps. Set fire to the peanut. 5. Quickly place the peanut under the can and use the flame to heat the can. Stir the water as the sample burns. Reignite if necessary. 6. After the peanut has burned as much as possible (without excessive delay in which the water might cool down), record the temperature of the water. 7. Repeat the procedure using a different food. You may wish to try a small marshmallow, cheese curl, potato chip, or other food that you wish to bring in. Greasy junk food generally burns well. It is important for it to readily burn completely.

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Experiment 10 Laboratory Record

Name:_______________________

Sample # 1: (be specific) __________________________________ 1. mass of water __________ grams 2. mass of sample __________ grams 3. temperature of H2O after burning __________ C 4. temperature of H2O before burning __________ C 5. change in temperature of the H2O __________ C 6. total energy content of sample: (show calculations below) __________ kcal 7. energy content per gram of sample __________ kcal/gram Calculations: heat (in cal)= (specific heat of water) x (mass of water) x (change in temperature) Note that: (specific heat of water= 1.00 cal/g C) (1 kcal = 1000 cal)

Sample # 2: (be specific) __________________________________ 1. mass of water __________ grams 2. mass of sample __________ grams 3. temperature of H2O after burning __________ C 4. temperature of H2O before burning __________ C 5. change in temperature of the H2O __________ C

52 6. total energy content of sample: (show calculations below) 7. energy content per gram of sample Calculations:

__________ kcal __________ kcal/gram

How does your experimental value for each of the samples compare to the energy value listed on the label?

If 100 mL of water is used in the can (instead of 50 mL), will the experiment still give accurate results? Explain.

If only a small portion of a peanut (say one-fourth of a nut) is used, will the experiment still give accurate results? Explain.

Other than mistakes, suggest at least 3 factors that affected the accuracy of your results.