DETERMINING THE ENERGY VALUE IN FOOD SAMPLES

Materials: Distilled water, a peanut ( whole), plasticine and cotton wool. Apparatus: A boiling tube, a thermometer (0-100 C), a retort stand, a pin (5-8cm long), a shield, a measuring cylinder, a Bunsen burner and electronic balance.

Figure 1.0 Apparatus set-up to determine the energy value in a food sample

Procedure: 1 One peanut is weighed and its weight is recorded. 2 20 ml of water is poured into a boiling tube. 3 The boiling tube is clamped to a retort stand. 4 The initial temperature (t C) of the water in the boiling tube is recorded. The thermometer is kept in place by cotton wool.

5 The peanut is spiked firmly to the end of a pin which is mounted on some plasticine. 6 The apparatus set-up is placed in a shield. 7 The peanut is ignited by holding it to the flame of a Bunsen burner. The burning peanut is immediately placed beneath the boiling tube to heat the water (Figure 1.0) 8 The water is stirred gently with the thermometer. 9 The final temperature , that is, the highest temperature (t C), is recorded as soon as the peanut has stopped burning. 10 The energy value of the peanut is calculated using the following formula:

Note: Mass of 1 ml of water= 1 g Therefore, the mass of water in the boiling tube is the same as the volume of water used.

11 The result are tabulated as follows Results: Mass of peanut (g) Mass of water (g) (Assuming that 1 ml of water weighs 1 g) Initial temperature of water (t C) Final temperature after burning (t C) Increase in temperature (t C- t C) 0.5 20

29 66 37

Discussion: 1 The energy value is the amount of energy released when 1 g of food is completely oxidized. 2 When the peanut is burnt, heat energy is released.

(a) The assumption made in this investigation is that the water absorbs all the energy that is released from the oxidation of the food sample. (b) In reality, not all the energy released by the peanut is used to heat the water. Hence, the result obtained in this investigation is less than the actual value. (c) This is because some of the energy is lost in the form of heat and light when the food burns. Some energy is also absorbed by the boiling tube. (d) Besides, the food may not be completely oxidized if the flame dies off too quickly and the highest water temperature is not measured accurately. 4 To obtain a more accurate result, The temperature must be measured accurately. The thermometer must not be allowed to touch the base of the boiling tube. Water in the boiling tube must be stirred to ensure that the heat is distributed evenly. (a) The food must be oxidised completely by making sure that flame does not extinguish too quickly (b) A shield is used to enclose the boiling tube to reduce heat loss to the surroundings. (c) The distance between the food and the boiling tube must not be too far. 5 The knowledge of energy value in in food samples is important as ithelps usplan our diet according to our daily energy requirements and to choose our food wisely. 6 The class of food with the highest energy value are the lipids. Conclusion: The energy value of the peanut is 6.2kJ g