Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello, I am doing the Burning Calories Science Fair project and I have a question concerning the accuracy of the experiment. I was just wondering if the water that was being heated by the food burning beneath it had to be at a certain temperature. If it is too hot or too cold, would that affect the change of its temperature? Is there an exact temperature the water should be at to ensure accurate results?

Thank you.

Hi Cole,

The water can really start at any temperature since you are measuring a change in temperature, but you'll need to keep it consistent from sample to sample. The easiest thing would be to just start with room temperature water (~20-25 degrees Celsius), which is what they are using in their example calculations. Just make sure to measure the starting temperature of your water accurately, and you should be fine.

Hope this helps!
JMP