measuring claories by burning food
Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:35 pm
for the experiment, im having trouble burning the food samples or keeping the food lit long enough to do the experiment. what can i do to fix this?
Hi,
If you have not seen the Science Buddies experiment writeup, it would be useful to read it carefully:
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p017.shtml
Your question is a standard problem with this experiment. You should realize it is not necessary for the food sample to burn completely, since you weigh it before and after burning, and compute the heat value based on the difference of weights before and after burning.
If your problem is that you cannot get the food sample to burn at all, try to find a food sample that is very dry. It also helps if the food item is greasy, like a cashew nut or peanut. Marshmallows also work pretty well, as does really dry bread (like croutons).
This is a really good experiment, so have fun with it!
Best Regards,
Barrett Tomlinson