Energy in A Peanut Lab

Name: ______________________ Hour: _______ Date: ________________
Energy in a Peanut LAB

71 points
LEARNING GOAL: Determine the stored (potential) energy in a peanut.
BACKGROUND: Calories that are counted in our everyday diet are based upon the same units
of heat that measure the potential energy stored within chemical bonds. As substances react,
chemical bonds are broken and reformed. During this process, energy is released. The amount of
released energy is measured in calories and is dependent upon the original energy content of the
reactant bonds. Foods that are high in calories have chemical bonds that when rearranged give
off large amounts of energy. When a high-energy bond is broken, a large amount of energy is
released. If the body can't use all of this energy, it stores the excess within the chemical bonds of
fat.
There are two types of calories: scientist calories and nutritionist calories. When
scientists speak of calories they are talking about the amount of heat it takes to raise the
temperature of water. One calorie to a scientist is the amount of heat energy it takes to raise the
temperature of 1 gram (or 1 milliliter) of water up 1 ºC. A thousand calories is called a
kilocalorie (kcal) and is the amount of heat energy needed to raise a 1,000 grams (or 1 liter) of
water up 1 ºC.
1 calorie = the amount of heat energy it takes to raise
the temperature of 1 gram of H2O by 1 ºC
1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1,000 kcal
1 Food Calorie = 1 kcal = 1,000 “little” calories
When nutritionists speak of calories or when you look up the number of calories on a food label
it is actually telling you the number of kilocalories that the food contains. For this reason, when
speaking of calories in food we will use an uppercase “C”. So, one Calorie is equal to 1
kilocalorie which is equal to 1000 calories (lowercase "c").
CAUTION: If you are allergic to peanuts inform your teacher

immediately BEFORE doing this activity. If any of the peanuts you are
working with are allergic to you, then also inform the teacher
immediately.
MORE PRE-LAB QUESTIONS:

1. What is the difference between “scientist calories” (cal) and “nutritionist calories” (Cal)?
2. A food label reads “80 Calories”. How many “scientist calories” are in the food?
3. Where is the potential energy in food stored?
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THE PEANUT TEST: To determine the calorie content of a particular food, its stored bond energy must
be liberated and measured. This energy is released as heat and is transferred to water. As the water
absorbs the heat, its temperature rises. By knowing the mass of burnt food, the volume of water, and the
change in the water’s temperature, you can determine the calories per gram of the burned food.
NOTE: Physical scientists define one calorie as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of one
gram of water by one Celsius degree.
MATERIALS:
Large test tube
Test tube holder
Ring stand
Peanut
Graduated cylinder
Clay or paper clip
Striker
Bunsen Burner
Thermometer
Laboratory balance
Water (maintained at room temperature)
Safety goggles
PROCEDURE:
1. Review all safety precautions associated with the use of an open flame with your
instructor.
2. Put on your safety goggles. Use a graduated cylinder to pure 10 mLs of water into
a test tube.
3. Secure the tube in a fixed test tube holder.
4. Obtain the mass of an unshelled peanut. Record this value.
5. Carefully pierce the peanut with a needle.
6. Anchor the free end of the needle into a lump of clay, as seen in the DIAGRAM.
7. Measure the temperature of the test tube water in degrees Celsius. Record this
value as the initial temperature.
8. With your instructor’s approval, light a Bunsen burner.
9. Once the Bunsen burner is burning, use it to set the peanut on fire.
10. Once the peanut has started burning, position it directly beneath the water filled
test tube.
NOTE: when re-igniting the peanut, slide it away from the test tube in order to
prevent the candle’s heat from warming the water.
11. When the peanut has stopped burning, retake the temperature of the water. Record this value.
12. Pour out the test tube water into a graduated cylinder. Record this volume.
13. Place the burnt peanut on the balance and determine its end mass.
14. Calculate the stored energy in a peanut.
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Food 1 ________________ 2 ________________ 3 ________________ 4________________
Initial Mass (mi) (g)
Final Mass (mf) (g)
Mass of Food Burned

(mi – mf) (g)
Volume of Water
(mL)
Mass of Water (m) (g)
Initial Temperature
(Ti) (ºC)
Final Temperature
(Tf) (ºC)
Temperature Change
(∆T = Tf – Ti) (ºC)
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Name: ______________________ Hour: _______ Date: ________________
1. FOOD 1 _______________________________________
a. Calculate the energy released by food 1.
(energy released by food = energy gained by the water) (J) Q = mcΔT
b. Convert the energy released by food 1.

(J → cal → Cal) (Cal)
c. Calculate the amount of energy released per gram of food.

(energy release by food ÷ mass of food burned) (Cal/g)
2. FOOD 2 _______________________________________


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3. FOOD 3 _______________________________________


4. FOOD 4 _______________________________________


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Name: ______________________ Hour: _______ Date: ________________

Energy in a Peanut LAB

LEARNING GOAL: Determine the stored (potential) energy in a peanut.

1 kilocalorie (kcal) = 1,000 kcal

1 Food Calorie = 1 kcal = 1,000 “little” calories

CAUTION: If you are allergic to peanuts inform your teacher

MORE PRE-LAB QUESTIONS:

3. Where is the potential energy in food stored?

Initial Mass (mi) (g)

Final Mass (mf) (g)

Mass of Food Burned

Mass of Water (m) (g)

b. Convert the energy released by food 1.

c. Calculate the amount of energy released per gram of food.

b. Convert the energy released by food 2.

c. Calculate the amount of energy released per gram of food.

b. Convert the energy released by food 3.

c. Calculate the amount of energy released per gram of food.

b. Convert the energy released by food 4.

c. Calculate the amount of energy released per gram of food.

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Name: __________________ Hour: _ Date: ______________