Year 8 Science Name: ____________

Marks: /34

Energy from Food

Aim: To find out how much energy is released when a small piece of food burns by
recording changes in water temperature.
Prediction: ______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________ (1 mark)
Hypothesis:_______________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
Equipment:
 Large test tube
 wooden tongs
 food samples
 needle with stopper
 Bunsen burner
 measuring cylinder
 thermometer
 metal can
 heat mat

Figure 1: Diagram of equipment set up

Method:
1. Pour exactly 10 mL of water into the test tube.
2. Measure and record the starting temperature of the water.
3. Light the Bunsen burner and turn to a working flame.
4. Push the blunt end of the needle in to the stopper. Then attach a food sample to the
sharp end of the needle and ignite the food sample in the Bunsen burner flame.
5. Once burning, immediately place the stopper with the food sample on the heat mat
and cover with the metal.
6. Quickly hold the test tube of water 2cm above the burning food sample and hold it in
the food’s flame until it stops burning.
7. Measure and record the final temperature of the water.
8. Repeat for all remaining food samples.
Results: (3 mark)
Food Temperature Temperature Change in Amount of
Sample (˚C) before (˚C) after Temperature Energy (J)
(˚C)

1. Calculate the change in temperature for each test and fill in the table. (3 marks)

2. It takes 4.2 Joules of energy to raise the temperature of 1mL of water by 1 ˚C. So, calculate the heat
energy gained by your test tubes and fill this value into your table. Your answer will then be in
Joules (J). This is the energy released by the burning food. (3 marks)

3. Graph your results by creating a line graph with Amount of Energy (J) and Change in Temperature
(˚C) (4 marks)
 4. What can you infer about the amount of energy in the food samples from the change in temperature?
(1 mark)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

5. Which of the food samples you tested contained the most energy? (1 mark)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

Discussion:

a) Were the results what you predicted? (1 mark)

________________________________________________________________________________

b) Explain your results from this experiment . (2 marks)

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

c) Did the collected data support your hypothesis? (1 mark)

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

d) What energy transfers took place? List them and say where they took place. (4marks)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
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e) Starting with the energy in the food sample, what energy transformations took place?
Draw them in an energy chain. (3 marks)
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_________________________________________________________________________________
 f) What was the purpose of the metal can? (1 mark)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

g) Describe two errors that may have contributed to your experiment and describe how they would
have affected your results? (2 marks)
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

h) What could be done to improve this experimental design? (2 marks)

_________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion:

a. What did you find out in relation to your aim? (1 mark)

_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________