Objectives
In this experiment, students will:
- Use a temperature probe to measure temperature changes.
- Monitor the energy given off by food as it burns.
- Determine and compare the energy content of different foods.
About the Lesson
The energy content of food can be determined by burning a portion of it and capturing the heat released to a known amount of water. This technique is called calorimetry. The energy content of the food is the amount of heat produced by the combustion of 1 gram of a substance. It is measured in kilojoules per gram (kJ/g). Students will be using the temperature probe to make this determination.