Energy Content in nut experiment DCP

By: ChengTeck Lee

Date: March 23, 2014

DCP

This table shows mass change of nuts after 1 minute of burning and average mass change.

nuts

original mass of nut (±0.01g)

mass after one minute (±0.01g)

change in mass (±0.02g) average mass

change (±0.06g)trial

1trial 2

trial 3 trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 1 trial 2 trial 3

cashew 1.27 1.62 1.19 1.17 0.96 0.61 0.10 0.66 0.58 0.45peanut 0.64 0.58 0.57 0.11 0.08 0.29 0.53 0.50 0.28 0.44pistachio 0.64 0.43 0.45 0.33 0.13 0.32 0.31 0.30 0.13 0.25walnut 2.16 1.64 1.51 1.26 0.69 0.71 0.90 0.95 0.80 0.88almond 1.28 1.23 1.08 0.84 0.79 0.60 0.44 0.44 0.48 0.45

This table shows temperature change of water after 1 minute of burning and average temperature change.

Nuts

original temperature of water (±0.1℃)

temperature after one minute (±0.1℃)

change in temperature (±0.2℃)

average temperature

change (±0.6℃)

trial 1

trial 2

trial 3 trial 1 trial 2 trial 3 trial 1 trial 2 trial 3

Cashew 19.10 21.30 20.20 22.30 30.40 35.40 3.20 9.10 15.20 9.17Peanut 15.10 14.90 18.50 29.60 37.50 25.60 14.50 22.60 7.10 14.73pistachio 19.10 14.30 17.90 29.50 25.70 26.10 10.40 11.40 8.20 10.00Walnut 15.00 14.90 20.10 30.60 47.10 50.10 15.60 32.20 30.00 25.93Almond 20.20 19.50 19.80 31.60 28.00 31.60 11.40 8.50 11.80 10.57

This table shows change of temperature per gram.

Nutsaverage temperature change (±0.6℃)

average mass change (±0.06g)

change in temperature per gram (±0.66℃/g)

cashew 9.17 0.45 20.52peanut 14.73 0.44 33.74pistachio 10.00 0.25 40.54walnut 25.93 0.88 29.36almond 10.57 0.45 23.31

Observation

Before the experiment, water is at room temperature and clear, while the nuts are unchanged and normal.

During the nut experiment, the test tube contain the water turn black, while the nuts, also, simultaneously turn black as well.

After the experiment, the test tube was black, while the water, although is still clear, has increase in temperature due to burning ATP from nuts. And after one minute of burning ATP from nuts, the mass of the nuts decrease.

Graph- Bar Chart of change in temperature per gram of each nut

Scatter graph with line of best fit

Conclusion

From the tables, we see that as the mass of the nuts decrease, the temperature of the water increases. This is because when the nuts are burnt, they release ATP, which is a form of chemical energy used, for example, respiration; and heat is produced from the burnt nuts as well. The heat transfers to the test tube containing water. As the test tube containing water turns black at the bottom due to ash, the temperature of the water increases simultaneously. The walnut has the largest mass out of the five nuts, and contains the highest amount of energy since it burns the most ATP. However, on the charts, the pistachio is the one having the greatest temperature change per gram. According to the table, the pistachio lost the least mass, whereas the water temperature change by the burning pistachio is the second least.

There is a similar experiment which was to investigate the energy given of in food stuffs. His aim is to find out what type of peanut: plain, roasted, or dry roasted, gives out the most ATP. He predicts that the roasted peanut will produce the most ATP. His result proves correct, since the roasted peanut has the highest fat content, as fat contains a lot of energy.

Evaluation

Room temperatureDuring the experiment, because the burning nuts give out a smell extremely uncomfortable to our lungs, so we opened the windows for fresh air. During the experiment that day, it was less than 20 degrees Celsius, therefore affecting the temperature of the water in the test tube before putting the burning nuts below it

Next time, switch on the air conditioner, set it to room temperature. To counter the burning smell, might as well wear a mask that filters breathable air.

Burning of nutSometime during the experiment, shortly after the nuts start to burn, we were too late to immediately put the burning nut to below the test tube of water, therefore affecting the mass change of the nut and the temperature change of the water.

While we put the nut on top of the fire, put the test tube on top of the nut. Put something solid and insulated between the test tube and the nut. Once the nut starts to burn, immediately remove the solid and insulated object for the experiment to take place for more accurate results.

TimingSome people are using stopwatches. This will create errors since after one minute, when one student press the button to stop the time, the result is always a bit more than one minute, affecting the experiment.

Use a timer, or an touch-screen electronic device that has a timer app, for more accuracy after one minute is passed.