Education Technology


Life Science: Vernier - Energy in Food

by Vernier Science Education - Data Collection with Probes Lesson

Objectives

In this experiment, students will:

  • Use a temperature probe to measure temperature changes.
  • Monitor the energy given off by food as it burns.
  • Determine and compare the energy content of different foods.

 

About the Lesson

The energy content of food can be determined by burning a portion of it and capturing the heat released to a known amount of water. This technique is called calorimetry. The energy content of the food is the amount of heat produced by the combustion of 1 gram of a substance. It is measured in kilojoules per gram (kJ/g).  Students will be using the temperature probe to make this determination.