4.10.

23 CARBOHYDRATES AND LIPIDS – LAB REPORT

Calorimetry – Energy value of food items

Research Question: How does the energy content in lipids and carbohydrates differ?
Background Information: Energy content is the amount of heat produced by the burning of
a small sample of a substance and heating water with the heat given off and is measured in
joules per gram.
You can determine energy content by burning a known mass of food and capturing the heat
released to a known mass of water in a calorimeter.
Prediction: If we burn the food then the mass of the food will reduce, and the water
temperature will increase.
Materials:
Food items given – potato chips, cashew and ground nut.
Forceps
Stand + clamp
Boiling tube or metal can
Thermometer
Graduated cylinder
Bunsen burner + matches
Balance
Sheet of aluminium foil

Method:
1. Get a sample slice of potato chip, cashew and ground nut.
2. Record the initial masses of the food samples.
3. Spread a sheet of aluminium foil under the calorimeter to catch any pieces of food
and reflect the heat upwards. See the demonstration set up.
4. Measure a known volume of water (50 ml) and place it in the calorimeter.
5. Use a clamp to hold the container high enough so that you can hold the burning food
underneath.
6. Stir and measure the initial temperature of the water.
7. Use a clamp to suspend the thermometer in the water. The thermometer should not
touch the bottom of the container.
8. Light the Bunsen burner but keep the burner away from the calorimeter set up.
9. Using a pair of forceps, hold the food item in the Bunsen burner just until it ignites.
10. Quickly, move the burning food item under the calorimeter and hold it there until the
burning stops.
11. Stir the water and record the highest temperature in the observation table given
below.
12. Determine the final mass of the mass of the food sample.
 13. Repeat the procedures for all food samples.
14. When you are finished, clean up your area correctly. Don’t throw away the aluminium
foil.

Calorimetry – Energy value of food items (c = 4.18)

Food Sample 1: Potato chip

S Initial Final mass Initial Final Change Mass Q= Energy
no. mass of of food after temp temp in temp. of t*m*c of food
food burning (T1) (T2) (t) water (gm)
(M1) (M2) (T2 – T1) {1ml = Q/(M1
1gm} – M2)
(m)
1 0.30 g 0.03 26’C 46’C 20 10 ml 836 3096
2 0.29 g 0.04 26’C 36’C 10 10 ml 418 1672
3 0.29 g 0.10 26’C 34’C 8 10 ml 334.4 1760

Average gm of sample 1: 2176

Food Sample 2: Peanut

S Initial Final mass Initial Final Change Mass of Q = Energy
no. mass of of food after temp temp in temp. water t*m*c of food
food burning (T1) (T2) (t) {1ml = (gm)
(M1) (M2) (T2 – T1) 1gm} Q/(M1 –
(m) M2
1 0.37 g 0.07 27’C 50’C 23 10 ml 961.4 3204.67
2 0.36 g 0.14 27’C 41’C 14 10 ml 4180
585.2
3 0.35 g 0.18 26’C 45’C 19 10 ml 794.2 4671.76

Average gm of sample 2: 4018.8

Food Sample 3: Cashew

S Initial Final mass Initial Final Change Mass of Q = Energy
no. mass of of food after temp temp in temp. water t*m*c of food
food burning (T1) (T2) (t) {1ml = (gm)
(M1) (M2) (T2 – T1) 1gm} Q/(M1 –
(m) M2
1 0.53 0.07 24’C 70’C 46 10 ml 1922.8 4180
2 0.60 g 0.18 25’C 67’C 42 10 ml 4180
1755.6
3 0.60 g 0.14 24’C 81’C 57 10 ml 2382.6 5179.57
Average gm of sample 3: 4513.2

Conclusion:
1. Which of the food samples had the greatest energy content? Suggest a reason why?
Answer: The cashew sample had the greatest energy content; we know this because
the final temperature and the mass after burning the cashew sample was the highest
compared to the others.
2. How could you show the amount of energy that comes only from the oil that the
crisps were cooked in?
Answer: We could show the amount of energy that comes only from the oil that the
crisps were cooked in by subtracting the initial mass from the final mass and subtracting
that result from the total mass.
3. How could you show that the water gained energy only from the burning food and not
the surroundings?
Answer: I could show that the water gained energy only from the burning food as the
burning food was touching the test tube with water and the water was kept in a test tube
which was at a height with a clamp so that the water does not gain energy from other
substances.