Calorimeter (Macky Lasmarias)

Calorimeter (Macky Lasmarias)

Title: Calorimeter and the Caloric Content of Foods

Principle(s) Investigated: Calorie (kilocalorie), calorie, food energy, heat

Standards : 1.6.N Analyze the caloric and nutritional value of foods and beverages.

1.1.N Describe the short- and long-term impact of nutritional choices on health.

Materials: Aluminum soft drink can, ring stand, pin, eraser, almond, cheetos, marshmallows, measuring cup, lighter, thermometer

Procedure: Students will review the significance of a Calorie and a calorie. The lab will show caloric content of simple foods by the heat that will increase the temperature of the water. Students will discuss what foods have the greatest amount of energy per gram and explain what foods are best for nutrition

Formula to calculate Calories over grams:

100 g water x (final temperature - start temperature) = calories

Convert to Calories (kilocalories) divide by 1000 = Calories

calculate calories per gram by dividing the mass

Calories / grams = Cal/g

Repeat steps for other food items.

Student prior knowledge: Students should know these terms: Calories, calories, mass, heat, law of conservation of energy

Explanation: The demonstration will first start off with discrepant events that will activate the prior knowledge of students and engage them in the lab. The students will record their predictions, hypotheses, and answers and will be discussed in pairs and as a whole group.

Questions & Answers: If someone were to play basketball for an hour (150 lb person would burn approximately 750 Calories per hour) which of the three foods would be best to give? The almonds would be the best because they provide the most energy per gram and they take longer to metabolize than the other food.

Would someone be able to lose weight on a Twinkie diet? There was a professor who was able to lose weight by eating Twinkies every three hours but he also included multi vitamins, protein shakes and vegetables in his diet. He limited his caloric intake to 1800 calories a day. This is not recommended because there can be complications of diabetes or other diseases.

What comes to mind when you hear about a person who consumes 12,000 calories per day? The typical teenager consumes an approximate 1500-3000 calories per day and 12,000 calories seems like an incredible amount. World-Class athlete Michael Phelps needs to consume this much because he swims and trains for 5 hours a day, six days a week. His caloric consumption has to balance his caloric output in his activites.

Applications to Everyday Life: One application for this activity could be for someone who wants to lose weight. Being aware of their caloric intake and knowing how much exercise you do should result in weight loss if done properly.

Another application is the discrepant event of the Twinkie diet. Regulating your caloric intake will result in weight loss but people have to be aware that the lack of vitamins, nutrients, and minerals from Twinkies were replaced with vitamins, vegetables, and protein shakes. The article did not talk about how the professor felt with the sugar rushes and drops. The best scenario is to eat a well-balanced meal and exercise regularly.

The Michael Phelps example shows that if you want to maintain your weight or have enough energy to accomplish your activity, you have to balance your caloric intake with your output. For someone who wants to gain weight they would have to consume more calories than what they burn. For someone who wants to lose weight, they would have to burn more calories than they consume. These are most effective when done gradually with the correct foods and proper exercise.

Photographs: Will be included after demonstration.

Videos: World’s Largest Gummy Bear - http://www.relevantmagazine.com/main/slices/culture/18085-12000-calorie-gummy-bear

References

Herr, Norman. Hands-On Chemistry Activites with Real-Life Applications. Calorimeter P 358-359

Nutrition Analysis Tool - http://nat.illinois.edu/nat.pdl

Twinkie Diet - http://www.geekosystem.com/twinkie-diet/