Elementary students learn about measuring food energy

CLINTON – Students in David Fridley’s sixth grade science classes at Clinton Elementary School had the opportunity to measure the amount of energy that is generated by different types of food when it is burned. This was compared to the way in which the human body burns food for energy.

Students were given peanuts, saltines, almonds, Pringles potato chips, caramel flavored rice cakes, cheese puffs and marshmallows. They constructed a burning mechanism using a lump of clay and a paper clip shaped to hold the food. This was placed below a can of water.

The temperature of the water was measured to get a base reading. The pieces of food were weighed to determine the mass of each one. Each piece of food was fastened to the paper clip on the lump of clay and lit on fire.

As the food burned, it heated the water above it. Once the food was done burning, students measured the temperature of the water once again and used the change in temperature from beginning to end to calculate the amount of energy released by the food.

After burning each type of food and calculating the results, students then graphed the data. Graphs included the total amount of energy released and the amount of energy released per gram of food burned.

Students learned that different types of food release different amounts of energy, and sometimes the larger pieces did not release as much energy as the smaller pieces. This helped to determine whether or not a specific type of food contained much energy. Students found that if a larger piece of food put out the same amount of total energy as a smaller piece of a different food, then its energy per gram would be lower, meaning that a person would have to consume more of that type of food to gain the same amount of energy as a smaller amount of the other food.

This was an enjoyable way for students to actually see how food can affect their energy and overall health.

Courtesy photo

Students burned various types of food and measured the temperature change i the water to calculate the amount of energy released by the food.