Title: Energy released by burning a peanut

Aim :- To determine the amount of energy released in a burning peanut

Apparatus; balance, watch glass, dissecting pin, boiling tube, thermometer, measuring
cylinder, retort stand
Materials: Peanuts, water

Procedure:
1) Find the mass of an empty dry, clean watch glass and record the mass.

________________________________________________________

2) Find the mass of ten peanuts and record it.

_________________________________________________________

3) Place 10 ml of distilled water in a clean test tube and clamp it on a retort stand.

Record the temperature of the water as the initial temperature.

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

4) Stick the peanut onto the end of the dissecting pin and ignite it using flame from the

Bunsen burner.

__________________________________________________________________

5) Hold the lighted peanut under the test tube until it stops burning.

__________________________________________________________________

6) Record the highest temperature reached by the water as the final reading

__________________________________________________________________

7) Calculate the average energy released per gram of peanut using the formula below.

__________________________________________________________________
RESULTS

E= mc ᶿ
Joules = Mass of the water (g) x temperature increase ⁰ c x 4.2 J/ (g⁰c)
Where E= Energy contained in peanut, m= mass of water,

C = specific heat capacity of water, ᶿ = change in temperature

Mass of 10 peanuts
Volume of water used= 10 ml water
Assume 1 ml water = 1 g
Therefore mass of water used= 10 g
Table showing_______________________________________
Peanut Number Initial Temperature Final temperature of Change in
of water ⁰c water ⁰c Temperature
(Final – initial)
1
2
3
4
Average

CALCULATION FOR MASS OF 1 PEANUT

Mass of 10 peanut =
Mass of 1 peanut =

CALCULATION FOR THE MASS OF WATER

1 ml =
10 ml =

CALCULATIONS FOR THE ENERGY OF ALL FOUR (4) PEANUT

E= mc ᶿ

(Leave four lines for working)

CALCULATION FOR THE APPROXIMATE ENERGY OF 1 PEANUT
(Leave four lines for working)