PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

I. INTRODUCTION

Fruits and vegetables have different physical characteristics, which are determined by
overall physical factors. Their physical characteristics are difficult to identify if using eyes only.
To determine their physical characteristics, specific measuring materials are required. Physical
properties are important because it helps in designing particular equipment and determining
the behavior of the product for its handling. There are various types of cleaning, grading, and
separation of equipment which is designed on the basis of physical properties.

II. OBJECTIVES
At the end of this laboratory, the students must be able to do the following:
1. Measure the principal dimension of some fruits and vegetables;
2. Determine the geometric and arithmetic mean diameter and frontal area;
3. Determine the roundness and sphericity of selected fruits and vegetables;
4. Determine the volume, density and specific gravity of fruits and vegetables;
5. Figure out the surface area of selected fruits and vegetables; and
6. Determine the overall shape of the fruits and vegetables.
III. MATERIALS
1. Two (2) kinds of vegetables (Onion, Tomato)
2. Two (2) kinds of fruits (Orange, Apple)
3. Ruler or any length measuring device with millimeter scale
4. Automated weighing scale (g)
5. Pitcher with graduation
6. Graphing paper
7. Cellphone for documentation

METHOD:

In this laboratory activity, the method that we used is all based on the module and
laboratory instruction material provided. Stock knowledge and cooperation helped the group
came up with effective and efficient method in determining the characteristic of orange, tomato,
onion, and apple.
First, we determine the principal dimension of orange, tomato, onion, and apple. We
used ruler to measure their major, minor and intermediate diameter in mm scale, and this will
help us determine the geometric and arithmetic mean diameter and frontal area.
In determining the geometric and arithmetic mean diameter and frontal area we used
the formula:
1
D g=abc 3

a+b+ c
D g=
3

π
Frontal Area= (D g) ²
4
 Second, we determine the roundness and sphericity of our chosen fruit and vegetables.
In determining the roundness and sphericity, we used the formula in the module provided.

Roundness=
∑r
NR

r
Roundness=
R

Di
Sphericity=
Dc
Third, we determine the volume, density and specific gravity of our chosen fruit and
vegetables. In determining the volume, density and specific gravity, we used the following
formula:

Volume=Initial Volume−FinalVolume
Weight of the material , kg
Density=
Volume of the material , m ³

mass of the material ×specific gravity of water

SpecificGravity=
mass of water displaced

Fourth, we determine the surface area of our chosen fruit and vegetables. In
determining the surface area, we used a graphing paper; measure the dimension of one
square and computed the area, traced the product peel, counted the number of squares
covered by material and multiplied to the area per square.
Finally, after finalizing its geometric and arithmetic diameter, fontal area, roundness and
sphericity, the group can now decide what the shape of the fruit is and vegetables we’ve
choose. The data we gathered helped us decide of the shape of tomato, onion, apple, and
orange.
 IV. RESULTS

Table 1. Shape, geometric and arithmetic diameter, fontal area, roundness and sphericity of tomato,
onion, apple, orange.
Commodity Shape Mean Diameter Frontal Roundness Sphericity
Arithmetic Geometric Area ∑ r/NR r/R
Tomato 43.08 mm 26583.13 mm 1303.56 mm²
Onion 45.62 mm 31635.83 mm 1559.48 mm²
Apple 65.51 mm 93824.57 mm 3120.21 mm²
Orange 49.98 mm 39596.96 mm 2166.40 mm²

Table 2. Surface area, volume, density and specific gravity of tomato, onion, apple, orange.
Commodity Surface Area Volume Density Specific Gravity
Tomato 41547.5628 mm³ 9.146×10-4 g/ mm³ 0.915
Onion 51934.45355 mm³ 8.09×10-4 g/ mm³ 0.809
Apple 145416.47 mm³ 8.66×10-4 g/ mm³ 0.866
Orange 83095.1257 mm³ 9.87×10-4 g/ mm³ 0.987
THINGS TO PONDER

1. Why do you think roundness and sphericity are important in handling and processing fruits and
vegetables?
Roundness of an object specifically fruits and vegetables measure the sharpness of
corners. Sphericity on the other hand, show the shape character of particle relative to the
sphere having the same volume. It is important in handling and processing fruits and
vegetables because it help us determine the roundness and sphericity of fruits and vegetables
that will help us determine its characteristic that will fit in processing. Also, it is significant in
using equipment and machinery that is designed in a specific fruit and vegetables. Roundness
and sphericity will help in designing cleaning, grading and separation equipment in an
agriculture.

2. Which is easier to handle – a large sized product or a small sized product? Why?
We think large sized product, especially in terms of measuring its diameter and volume
because you can easily get their measurement unlike small sized product. For example, cucumber
which is large sized product; the diameter and volume can easily get using ruler and cylinder
because they are large in size and weight, you can easily get the measurement without getting
confuse with the result. Just like my experience here in this laboratory exercise, the group got
hard time in measuring the volume of small sized product. But the weakness of large sized
product is that it has many procedures and need time, but we can assure exact results that will
surely tell the physical characteristic of the product.

2. In what area do you think surface area of object is particularly useful?

In the area of production, processing and security, surface area would be useful. Surface area
is important so that during the production of fruit and vegetables, problem won't rise anytime of its
growing to harvesting stage because distance and area was observed. In processing, here the
packaging would be affected if surface area won't be observed and identified. Packaging is
important in fruits and vegetables because it will protect the product's quality and life. Also,
surface area is important in security because there are fruits and vegetables that are in need to be
protected, there are fruits that needs numerous requirements and surface area will help us secure
our product. In addition, Surface area can be used to calculate the amount of wax applied to fruit.
The amount of packaging film used to wrap the fruit, as well as the rate of heating, cooling, and
freezing as well as drying.
3. How do you suppose you can find the volume of the product that will dissolve in water?
Using graduated cylinder, volume can easily get because it has graduation that will tell the
measurement. Also, it is not new to us that we use graduated cylinder in measuring the volume of
dissolved product. We measure the product in undissolved stage and then measure in dissolved
stage. Measuring device is needed just like weighing scale and graduated cylinder.

V. CONCLUSION

Fruits and vegetables possess own unique physical characteristics. They are all made different
but function will be for living things; human, animals and plants, that will help in our daily living. In
our course which is properties of agricultural and bio-systems materials, we will study different
properties of materials that is related to agriculture and bio-systems. This laboratory exercise
helped us experience unfamiliar things that let us acquire new knowledge. As a future engineer, it
is important to fill with this knowledge because we are the one who will design machines and
equipment that is related to a specific fruit and vegetable in the near future. As time passes,
technology advances, and agriculture should not be left behind; we must be well-trained in this
field in order to be innovative. Exportation is the key for our high-quality fruits and vegetables, to
achieve this we should innovate machineries that protect our product and this is also the way that
our country would be recognized as one of the best producers of high-quality fruits and
vegetables.