PrepaTec Santa Catarina

Matter and the Environment

Core Activity AD23

What if? – Exploring a scientific phenomenon

Luciana Estévez Chi a01724648

Bárbara Escutia a01724413

Lourdes Ruther a01724643

Veronica Lobo Guerra a01724646

Sofía González a01724146

Due date: September 15, 2023

introduction

What phenomenon are you going to explore?

We are exploring the science behind cooking pancakes and investigating the impact of whipping eggs on the
final pancake's height. By examining the underlying chemical and physical processes involved in the effects of
whipping eggs, we can compare how a simple step in the recipe can change the outcome of the pancakes.

Theoretical Framework

Whipping eggs affects the height of pancakes through a combination of mixing dry ingredients and wet
ingredients. particularly the role of gluten formation and egg proteins during the mixing process has a huge
role in the pancakes. This framework is the scientific principles of pancake preparation and the transformation
of the ingredients during cooking.

gluten formation:

While following a pancake recipe one of the primary dry ingredients is flour. Flour contains proteins, most
common being glutenin, and gliadin, these proteins are immobile and non-interacting in their dry state. The
gluten molecules are long chains that exist in a coiled, inactive form.

“When the flour is dry, the gluten molecules are nearly immobile, which means that they do not move much.
They also do not bond (or "link") to one another.” (CityScience, 2013)

Gluten Activation:

As water enters the dry ingredients, the gluten molecules become active. The molecules loosen and link
together to form a network of interconnected strands. This phenomenon is called gluten development; it
provides structure and elasticity to the pancake batter.

“When the flour is moistened with water (or with milk and eggs, which are composed mainly of water), the
gluten molecules become active.” (CityScience, 2013)

Whipping eggs:

Eggs are a crucial ingredient of pancake batter they consist primarily of water, proteins, and fats. When eggs
are whipped the proteins, especially egg whites, go through changes. Whipping the eggs introduces air into
the mixture and causes the proteins in the eggwhites to arise.

The trapped air in the egg foam creates small air pockets. This trapped air in combination with the gluten
network contributes to the lightness and fluffiness of the pancake batter.

These factors work together to create light, fluffy, and tall pancakes when cooked.
Theoretical Framework
Afterwards, your report should include:
● Key concepts related to your phenomenon
● Theories, laws, or chemical principles related to your phenomenon.

Research Question
What effect does whipping eggs have on the height of the pancakes?

Hypothesis
The effect of whipping eggs on pancakes is that the height of the pancakes will rise and the pancakes will be
fluffy because when whipping the egg whites the egg whites become fluffy affects the height and it will be
fluffy and the time of baking will be different.

Identification of Variables

During the process of making the pancakes our independent variable is going to be the Egg Preparation.
This includes the whipped that has been beaten to take air and increase their volume and the not whipped
eggs which haven’t been beaten and would be used as they are. The dependent variable will be the pancake
height after cooking because it will show us the result of the changes of the independent variable. Then, our
control variables will be the factors that would be the same for the preparation of both mixes of pancakes
like the cooking temperature and time, the same cooking Surface, the same recipe for the other ingredients
like the flour, baking powder, butter, etc.

Experimental Design

We are going to test our research question by doing the pancakes and seeing if whipping eggs affect the
height of the pancakes.

Materials

● 1 ¼ cups of white flour

● 1 tablespoon of baking powder
● 1 spoon of sugar
● ¼ teaspoon of salt
● 1 egg
● 1 cup of milk
● 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
● 1 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)
● 1 frying pan
 ● 1 bowl

Procedure
1) Buy all the ingredients to make the pancakes
2) In the bowl start mixing all the ingredients except the egg
3) After mixing the ingredients place the egg in the same bowl and start whipping it
4) After whipping the eggs turn on the stove and put a frying pan to cook the dough (Be careful when it
gets hot because you can burn yourself)
5) After it gets hot start pouring the dough to make the pancakes
6) Finally wait until the dough is cook and get the pancake out of the frying pan
7) Place the pancakes on a plate and see if whipping the eggs affects the height.

(This procedure will be repeated one more time, but without whipping the eggs so we can compare if
whipping eggs affects the height of our pancakes.)

INDIVIDUAL SUBMISSION

IN A SEPARATE DOCUMENT, fill out the following evaluation for you and your teammates:

Collaboration Rubric
ADVANCED
(30 points)
EXPECTED
I consciously listened to the
(20 points)
contributions of the team INTERMEDIATE
ELEMENTAL
and made pertinent (10 points)
Team members I consciously listened to (0 points)
comments to benefit our
the contributions of the
(Include yourself) project. I respectfully listened to
team. I did not
I respected all viewpoints, the contributions of my
I respected all viewpoints participate in
evaluated teammates’ teammates.
and joined the proposals the project.
contributions, and
given to achieve the
proposed ways to carry out
goals.
our project.

1.
2.
3.
4.

How will you be evaluated?

Advanced Expected Intermediate Minimum

Cover page 5 points 3 points 1 point 0 points

 All cover page 3 out of 5 1-2 out of 5 The cover page
components are components are components are is not included
included: included included

1) Institution’s name
2) Institution’s logo
3) Name of the core
activity
4)Students’ names and
ID’s
5) Submission date
10 points
5 points
0 points
15 points An objective is
partially included An objective is
An objective is
An objective is included (one question is included
Introduction not included.
(questions are answered) (questions are
and
answered) answered) Concepts,
theoretical
Concepts,
framework principles,
Concepts, principles, principles, Concepts,
theories, or
theories, or laws are theories, or laws principles,
laws are not
included. are included. theories, or laws
included
are not included

3 points
5 points
10 points
The research
The research 0 points
question states 1
The research question question states 2
Research out of 2 variables.
states 2 variables. The variables. The A research
question
question is clear and question is not question is not
The question is not
relevant for the clear or not included.
clear and not
research relevant for the
relevant for the
research
research

3 points
5 points
10 points
1 out of 2 variables
The 2 variables are is included.
The 2 variables are
included, as well
included, as well as the 0 points
Hypothesis as the cause and Cause and effect
cause and effect.
effect, but the are not included.
The hypothesis
hypothesis is not
The hypothesis is clear is not included
clear or not The hypothesis is
and thorough.
thorough. not clear and
thorough.

5 points 3 points
10 points 0 points
Identification
2 out of 3 variables 1 out of 3 variables
of variables The 3 variables are No variables
are identified is identified
identified correctly. are identified.
correctly. correctly.

15 points 10 points 5 points

All steps for Most of the steps Some of the steps 1 point
Procedure experimentation are for for
The procedure
clearly explained (list of experimentation experimentation
is not included
materials, safety rules, are clearly are clearly
and step by step) explained explained
 3 points 1 point
5 points 0 points
Citations and at Citations and
Citations and
least 2 references references are
references in Citations and at least 3 Citations and
in APA style are included but not in
APA style. references in APA style references are
included. APA style.
are included. not included.

APA References

MasterClass. (2021, December 2). Soufflé pancakes recipe: Tips for making soufflé pancakes - 2023 - MasterClass.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/souffle-pancakes-recipe#

Panqueques Favoritos (con huevos). (n.d.). Food Hero.

https://foodhero.org/es/recipes/panqueques-favoritos-con-huevos

Planning an investigation - Planning an investigation (CCEA) - GCSE Biology (Single Science) Revision - CCEA -
BBC Bitesize. (n.d.). BBC Bitesize.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zcxp6yc/revision/1#:~:text=Independent%20variable%20%E2%80%93%20
the%20variable%20that,same%20during%20a%20scientific%20experiment.