New
New
Year 8
Energy provided by food: practical
I can calculate the amount of energy provided by different foods by measuring a change in temperature.
New
New
Year 8
Energy provided by food: practical
I can calculate the amount of energy provided by different foods by measuring a change in temperature.
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Lesson details
Key learning points
- Different foods provide different amounts of energy.
- The amount of energy provided by different foods can be investigated and compared by burning them.
- Burning foods can heat water and the temperature change of the water measured.
- The mean temperature change can be calculated from repeat measurements.
- Energy provided by the food (J) = mass of water (g) x rise in temperature (°C) x 4.2
Keywords
Temperature change - The difference in the starting and end temperature of a substance.
Mean - An average of several measurements, which is calculated by adding them up and dividing by the number of measurements.
Mass - The amount of matter in an object.
Variable - A variable is a factor that can be varied or measured in a science experiment.
Common misconception
Control variables make it a fair test.
Control variables need to be kept the same to make the investigation valid.
If there is time, you could repeat each food and find a mean. Students could also work in different groups and then share data to calculate a mean.
Teacher tip
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on
Open Government Licence version 3.0
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Starter quiz
Download starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.
Which food groups provide us with energy?
Minerals
Proteins
Vitamins
Q2.
Which foods are high in fat?
apple
bread
Q3.
How much energy (kcal) is in 100g of this cereal?

Q4.
How much energy (kcal) is in a 30g portion of this cereal?

Q5.
The apparatus we use to heat things in the lab in called a burner.
Q6.
What pieces of information must be included on a food label by law?
Salt
Vitamins
Exit quiz
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6 Questions
Q1.
Who is correct?


Laura: A mean is where you take the best result and use this as your answer.

Izzy: A mean is the highest result that you get.

Jun: A mean is calculated from a single measurement.
Q2.
Which food provides the most energy?



Q3.
The amount of energy provided by different foods can be investigated and compared by them.
Q4.
How is temperature change calculated?
by finding the mean
initial temperature − final temperature
by repeating the experiment
Q5.
Which is the correct equation for calculating the amount of energy provided by food?
mass of water × temperature change
mass of water × temperature change ÷ 4.2
Q6.
Calculate the energy provided by burning food that heated water with a mass of 10 g and caused a temperature change of 23 °C.
Q2 image 1 UYSEG Q2 image 2 UYSEG Q2 image 3 UYSEG
Additional material
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