Lab 1-5: Burning Froot Loops Name____________________________
Date _________________ Period_____________
Background: What is a calorie? A food calorie is a unit of measurement to determine the amount of heat that
can be released from it. We use this to determine the amount of energy that we get from food. Most of us need
1000-3000 calories a day. A food calorie is different from the calorie that is used to measure heat in physical
science. The food calorie is equal to 1000 calories. The scientific calorie is used to measure the amount of heat
that is released from a material. If something has one calorie, it can heat one gram of water one degree Celsius.
A material that has 100 calories can heat 100 grams of water 1 degree Celsius. But remember that this is
different than a food calorie.
Materials: Froot Loops Paper clips Soda Can Ring Stand Matches Scale.
Aluminum Foil
Procedures:
1. Set up the ring stand and place the can so that it rests on the
small ring. Lower the ring so that it is about 2-3 cm above the
froot loops. The froot loops are going to rest on one of the
paper clips that is made into a stand.
Soda
Can
2. Pour 200 mL of water into the can and record the
temperature of the water.
3. Record the mass of the froot loops and record in the table
below.
Froot
4. Burn the froot loops. While the froot loops is burning, Loops Paper Clip
make sure there is nothing nearby that could ignite.
5. After the froot loops has completely burned, record the
mass of the froot loops and the temperature of the water in the
table below.
6. Repeat the steps above with 1 more froot loops. Record all data in the table. Make sure you start out with
fresh water. DO NOT USE THE SAME WATER.
7. Find the number of calories contained in Froot Loops. Find out per gram as well.
(Temp.Differenceof Water)
Calories =
5
Initial mass Final mass of Difference in Initial Final Difference in Calorie per
of froot loops froot loops mass of froot temperature temperature temperature gram of froot
(g) (g) loops (g) of water of water of water loops
(oC) (oC) (oC) (kcal/gram)
Questions:
1. If a food item had more calories, would it burn for a longer or shorter time? Explain your reasoning.
2. Compare the actual number of calories contained in the froot loops with what you calculated. How do they
compare? Determine the percentage difference.
3. What is a calorie? How are the science calorie and the food calorie different.
4. How do you think you can find the calories contained in a product such as milk or soda, which are liquids?
Explain your reasoning.