Final Chemistry Food Project
Chemistry of Food and Cooking: Rate of Thermal Exchange
-How can food’s energy content, nutrition, texture, taste etc. be explained in terms of the atomic, molecular and macro molecular structure of the food?
Food for the human body is like fuel for a car. If you want to maintain a well running car then you need to be sure you are putting in the correct oil, gas, maintenance etc. Human biology uses the same ideas, through the combustion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. By using a food that is high in proteins, you create a longer lasting fuel while carbohydrates create a fats in the body which act as an emergency food source. These forms of food can be described in the atomic form using the 4-4-9 rule. Proteins and carbohydrates each supply 4 calories to the human body per every 1 gram consumed. Fats on the other hand supply 9 calories per every 1 gram consumed. Therefore fats add more fuel however and excess of fuel can cause stores of fat that can affect the body in good and bad ways. Texture can be adjusted by adding different ingredients that bond in different ways to create different collections of either non-bonded or heavily bonded atoms. The amount of thermal energy can also effect the state of the food from solid liquid or gas and cause the food to have completely different molecular make ups. For example when experimenting with ice cream I found that due to the sugar in the ice cream ice crystals are capable of forming and hold air pockets witch give the ice cream one a sweeter taste and two a creamy texture. Without the sugar the ice crystals would not be able to form and would not allow the freezing point to be lowered thus not allowing the ability for the ice cream to not just be a brick of heavy wiping cream and half and half. As a solute sugar has unique effects on foods that require thermal change to be active. Salt is another solute and it causes the opposite compared to sugar, rather than lowering the freezing point it raises it so that things boil or melt faster. That is why we use large amounts of salt to melt ice on roads. As it bonds to the water molecules it allows for a quicker transfer of thermal temperature, then the sun does the rest.
Food has a unique similarity to science (even though everything is technically science) because similar to chemists, chefs use the unique properties of molecules to create different substances. For example, by mixing flour, water, and an egg you now have a batch of batter that can not be separated, then by applying thermal energy the molecules in the batter creates chemical bonds that while easily separable have the ability to hold their shape and flavor. Flour has no unique flavor and neither does a raw egg, but mixing them creates something else entirely, a pancake. Then a scientist could take Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate and Amphetamine Sulfate Tablets and make Adderall. While nowhere near the same thing the only difference is the process of combination and the ingredients list. I guess you could say a scientist just shops on the cooler market, and pays closer attention to the atomic and macro-molecular make up of the substance.
-How does cooking transform food and how can these transformations be understood as chemical processes?
Cooking is often thought of the as the act of heating up something, however cooking is the act of combining chemicals and foods to create new forms of edible substances. The process behind these is altered but the end goal is ruffly the same, make something good tasting and something that is capable of being sold at either a restaurant or served to others. Over time human evolution has allowed us to share information and perfect recipes so that we no longer have to understand the chemistry behind it, just follow the instructions and your food will come out alright, but what happens while all of it is being cooked, prepared and eaten? Well for foods that require thermal energy to be created such as cooking chicken or pork, when the meat is raw, it may contain harmful bacteria, but after the process of cooking it the bacteria is no longer capable to live in the high temperatures. Then as the molecules in the meat are slowly cooked the addition of thermal energy causes the molecules to com bust and turn the meat a darker shade. The excess of fats is boiled off and we often use it to further season the meat due to rich flavor that it adds to the molecules in the meat. The addition of spices such as salt causes the flavor of the meat to change once again because just like the fats when the meat is at a high thermal temperature it has a more likely ability to take on the flavors of the spices. But what about cold foods? Well the process of creating frozen foods such as ice cream is not that much different, however instead of using heat to get the molecules to bond the temperature is lowered until it is in a solid form. In order to maintain its shape unlike high temperature foods, cold foods need to remain in a cold environment to hold its shape. As well as this foods that use high amounts of thermal energy can remain in an edible state for longer if frozen.
We use chemistry a lot in the process of cooking eggs in the morning. First the when the stove is turned on an igniter that sends out a spark is added into a gas to create a frequent combustion, the gas is limited so the flame has a larger or smaller thermal transfer rate. Then as the pan is placed over the flames thermal energy is transferred into the metal pan to create a thermally heated surface. Once the egg is added the thermal energy begins to transfer into the egg so that the pan and the egg, using the law of thermal equilibrium become the same temperature. Then by continually monitoring it so that you are aware of when the amount of thermal energy in the egg has reached enough to turn it from a raw egg to a cooked one. after that the egg is placed on a cooler plate where it immediately begins to loose thermal energy. From there we add salt and pepper to help bring out the natural flavors of the egg. Have you every noticed that it looks like your egg is sweating when you add salt to it? Well that's because as the salt and the egg react to one another the salt absorbs moisture and excess moisture from the egg is drawn out. However this is a good thing because that means that as stated earlier it brings out the flavor of the egg that we all know and love.
Food for the human body is like fuel for a car. If you want to maintain a well running car then you need to be sure you are putting in the correct oil, gas, maintenance etc. Human biology uses the same ideas, through the combustion of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. By using a food that is high in proteins, you create a longer lasting fuel while carbohydrates create a fats in the body which act as an emergency food source. These forms of food can be described in the atomic form using the 4-4-9 rule. Proteins and carbohydrates each supply 4 calories to the human body per every 1 gram consumed. Fats on the other hand supply 9 calories per every 1 gram consumed. Therefore fats add more fuel however and excess of fuel can cause stores of fat that can affect the body in good and bad ways. Texture can be adjusted by adding different ingredients that bond in different ways to create different collections of either non-bonded or heavily bonded atoms. The amount of thermal energy can also effect the state of the food from solid liquid or gas and cause the food to have completely different molecular make ups. For example when experimenting with ice cream I found that due to the sugar in the ice cream ice crystals are capable of forming and hold air pockets witch give the ice cream one a sweeter taste and two a creamy texture. Without the sugar the ice crystals would not be able to form and would not allow the freezing point to be lowered thus not allowing the ability for the ice cream to not just be a brick of heavy wiping cream and half and half. As a solute sugar has unique effects on foods that require thermal change to be active. Salt is another solute and it causes the opposite compared to sugar, rather than lowering the freezing point it raises it so that things boil or melt faster. That is why we use large amounts of salt to melt ice on roads. As it bonds to the water molecules it allows for a quicker transfer of thermal temperature, then the sun does the rest.
Food has a unique similarity to science (even though everything is technically science) because similar to chemists, chefs use the unique properties of molecules to create different substances. For example, by mixing flour, water, and an egg you now have a batch of batter that can not be separated, then by applying thermal energy the molecules in the batter creates chemical bonds that while easily separable have the ability to hold their shape and flavor. Flour has no unique flavor and neither does a raw egg, but mixing them creates something else entirely, a pancake. Then a scientist could take Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate and Amphetamine Sulfate Tablets and make Adderall. While nowhere near the same thing the only difference is the process of combination and the ingredients list. I guess you could say a scientist just shops on the cooler market, and pays closer attention to the atomic and macro-molecular make up of the substance.
-How does cooking transform food and how can these transformations be understood as chemical processes?
Cooking is often thought of the as the act of heating up something, however cooking is the act of combining chemicals and foods to create new forms of edible substances. The process behind these is altered but the end goal is ruffly the same, make something good tasting and something that is capable of being sold at either a restaurant or served to others. Over time human evolution has allowed us to share information and perfect recipes so that we no longer have to understand the chemistry behind it, just follow the instructions and your food will come out alright, but what happens while all of it is being cooked, prepared and eaten? Well for foods that require thermal energy to be created such as cooking chicken or pork, when the meat is raw, it may contain harmful bacteria, but after the process of cooking it the bacteria is no longer capable to live in the high temperatures. Then as the molecules in the meat are slowly cooked the addition of thermal energy causes the molecules to com bust and turn the meat a darker shade. The excess of fats is boiled off and we often use it to further season the meat due to rich flavor that it adds to the molecules in the meat. The addition of spices such as salt causes the flavor of the meat to change once again because just like the fats when the meat is at a high thermal temperature it has a more likely ability to take on the flavors of the spices. But what about cold foods? Well the process of creating frozen foods such as ice cream is not that much different, however instead of using heat to get the molecules to bond the temperature is lowered until it is in a solid form. In order to maintain its shape unlike high temperature foods, cold foods need to remain in a cold environment to hold its shape. As well as this foods that use high amounts of thermal energy can remain in an edible state for longer if frozen.
We use chemistry a lot in the process of cooking eggs in the morning. First the when the stove is turned on an igniter that sends out a spark is added into a gas to create a frequent combustion, the gas is limited so the flame has a larger or smaller thermal transfer rate. Then as the pan is placed over the flames thermal energy is transferred into the metal pan to create a thermally heated surface. Once the egg is added the thermal energy begins to transfer into the egg so that the pan and the egg, using the law of thermal equilibrium become the same temperature. Then by continually monitoring it so that you are aware of when the amount of thermal energy in the egg has reached enough to turn it from a raw egg to a cooked one. after that the egg is placed on a cooler plate where it immediately begins to loose thermal energy. From there we add salt and pepper to help bring out the natural flavors of the egg. Have you every noticed that it looks like your egg is sweating when you add salt to it? Well that's because as the salt and the egg react to one another the salt absorbs moisture and excess moisture from the egg is drawn out. However this is a good thing because that means that as stated earlier it brings out the flavor of the egg that we all know and love.
I don’t play mind games. I just freeze Brains.
One pint (4 servings)
Vanilla
1 cup half-and-half or 236.6 grams
1 cup heavy whipping cream 236.6 grams
1 1/2 tsp vanilla or 6 grams
1/3 c plus 2 T sugar or 132 grams
Mix all ingredients until it is one liquid mixture. Taste before adding to the freeze. The classic ice cream needs to be chilled until it is a solid. For liquid nitrogen add to a large metal bowl and slowly pour the liquid nitrogen over the liquid mixture stirring as you pour. Be sure to wear gloves and glasses for personal protection. For the ice cream ball add the liquid mixture to the ball and our ice and rock salt around the outside capsule. Give 45 minutes to an hour of shaking before removing and placing in a separate container. Luckily ice cream is a very simple recipe that only takes time. The following passages will explain the science and steps used to complete these strange forms of ice cream.
Why This Works
Liquid nitrogen: Freezing the ice cream at the quickest rate but the least churning. This process is caused by adding liquid nitrogen to a mixed form of vanilla ice cream. At this point the ice cream is just stirred heavy cream, sugar, vanilla flavoring and milk. Once well mixed, adding liquid nitrogen causes ice crystals to form around the airraited particles and allows the ice cream to hold its shape, this is a very fast form of thermal exchange and does not allow the air pockets within the cream mixture to be maintained. One of the major parts of ice cream is the amount of air in it. Major companies are not allowed to add more than 100% air due to the fact that air dilutes the amount of ice cream sold in a carton, therefore liquid nitrogen ice cream has the least air and the most dense concentration.
Classic: Medium churning and medium speed of freezing. For centuries ice cream has been constantly added to until it was eventually perfected. By adding a solute to the mixture you can build chemical bonds that allow fats and sugars to combine. By freezing the mixture you produce ice crystals that hold the liquid atoms together. After they have reached their freezing point the ice cream molecules are moving very slow and no longer will attempt to separate until placed back into average room temperature which then causes the ice crystals to begin to melt away and only leave the ice cream mixture. So if you want a scoop of ice cream not a bowl of soupy cream make sure to put your ice cream in the freezer.
Ice cream ball: A lot of churning and slow freezing. As a kid I used this ball at the park to make ice cream for picnics. It takes a long amount of time but make very fluffy and light ice cream. The reason for the ball taking almost an hour to make ice cream is because the ice is not directly in contact with the cream and sugar. It is on the outside of the ball and cools a metal ball that is in the center. As the ice interacts with the ice it lowers the ices freezing point. As the ice melts it churns around the outside and slowly lowers the temperature until eventually the mixture inside is frozen and produces the cream goodness we all know and love.
Visual Representation( see bellow)
These images were taken during the process of making liquid nitrogen ice cream. As you can see, as the liquid nitrogen is added to the ice cream it create steam. This is because liquid nitrogen has such a low base temperature that as it combines with the room temperature air it almost immediately evaporates into a gas, luckily enough the gas is still cold enough to form ice crystals in the ice cream.
Experiment: For this experiment I tested how the density and air concentration affected the overall quality of the ice cream. After performing tests that alter the speed at which it froze and how much time it spent churning compared to freezing. Classic ice cream is creaming but holds its form for a longer amount of time, allowing the consumer to have time to savor the ice cream. It spends its time churning in a vat and slowly frozen. The process takes a while because the idea is to equally freeze all of the mixed cream. The science behind it is very simple, slowly apply a change in thermal energy to create ice crystals around the sugar molecules, however at the same time re-adding air to the mix to keep the light feel to it. Then I found that by freezing it faster, the ice cream becomes much more consistent but melts extremely quickly, within 3 minutes the ice cream already began to melt. It was much sweeter than the ice cream ball ice cream. As it froze the cream froze it became very hard in parts and still soupy in others however as I keep mixing it continually got softer. Finally by spending a longer amount of time churning it, the ice cream becomes a much softer and and slightly more bitter ice cream. It took a longer amount of time due to the ice cream frequently freezing to the sides of the metal and no longer allowed the cream in the center to be exposed to the thermal energy on the outside. As well as being slightly bitter it did melted very quickly. Within 10 minutes of being served it was already becoming much more liquid. The vanilla flavor however was very strong and noticeable. Over all it was a very good ice cream however the amount that it was frozen was very inconsistent.
Water Quality in the Animas River Watershed Project
In this project I furthered my understanding of the waste water treatment process. When I entered into this project I felt as if I knew about water treatment due to my helping my dad with our septic system. I had never heard of UV light treatment or settling tanks. I learned about these through lessons and guidance given by the people who came to Animas in order to help us put together a large scale project that would help teach the community about water treatment.
I learned a lot about plumbing and how pipes work together. I learned about when it is right to use sealing putty or when to use glue. Each has a unique use and each can be very easily mixed up. I also learned a bout how to create a one step filter for water. Each step further filters the water to a finer and finer state and re introduces nutrients and bacteria.
Water quality is important to study because many people do not use it to its full potential. As a young adult especially it is important to learn how to create or maintain a filtration system. I personally did not know a lot about water treatment and I actually felt every pleased with the knowledge I gained.
I learned a lot about plumbing and how pipes work together. I learned about when it is right to use sealing putty or when to use glue. Each has a unique use and each can be very easily mixed up. I also learned a bout how to create a one step filter for water. Each step further filters the water to a finer and finer state and re introduces nutrients and bacteria.
Water quality is important to study because many people do not use it to its full potential. As a young adult especially it is important to learn how to create or maintain a filtration system. I personally did not know a lot about water treatment and I actually felt every pleased with the knowledge I gained.
Owen Hickerson
The Waste Water Treatment Puzzle
Elevator Pitch
The way that our water is treated is often times unknown to the general public, this 3D model is designed to show the parts of the Durango wastewater treatment plant and the life cycle of the water that flows through it. It is designed to show the stages from a bird's eye view. Using an 3D model the viewer will be able to enter an enjoyable area to watch the many stages happen. Usable by nearly every age group, this product would create a more entertaining space for the wastewater treatment plant museum.
I want the audience to the with the following:
I want people to learn about the wastewater treatment process, through interactivity. I want them to have a feeling of content while viewing, and feel as if they know more about the methods used. I would also like them to know the different forms of filtration used in daily life.
The story my exhibit tells is:
My exhibit will tell the story of how all of the different forms of filtration and processing work together in order to supply our city with clean and usable water. This model has many different parts that are capable of adjustment, such as lights pumps and motors. It will pump water through it constantly showing each unique piece and its use in the process. The viewer will watch from a bird's eye view into pipes representing each unique step. The top will be open and be able to have small parts added to it in order to show the filtration in action. The model is made out of PVC pipe and water tubes. The water is run with a small pond pump and the aeration tank uses a fish tank bubbler.
Target audience
My goal is to target the mass majority of people. Through the engaging learning style i hope that most people will understand and participate in the process of this model. The ages I hope to reach with this is everyone. The reason that I want to reach everyone with this model is because of the viewing design most people will be able to see each step as it happens. For the younger audience members the model is see through and has many different parts to it, thus allowing them to be engaged and interested. For the older audience members I will have unit descriptions that tell what each part does and the science behind it. I hope that it will provide a fun way to learn about our local filtration.
Interaction length and Style of Engagement:
I hope people will view the complete process and enjoy learning about the methods used by our city to filter water. The sense I hope they will receive from my project is a sense of wonder as they watch. In viewing my project the general public will receive a greater sense of what happens in day to day life.
Defense:
I believe that my project deserves a spot at the wastewater museum because my project teaches people about the process of the treatment used on our water. I hope that a more finalized version of my project would be able to make a great addition to the inmersion of the museum.
The Waste Water Treatment Puzzle
Elevator Pitch
The way that our water is treated is often times unknown to the general public, this 3D model is designed to show the parts of the Durango wastewater treatment plant and the life cycle of the water that flows through it. It is designed to show the stages from a bird's eye view. Using an 3D model the viewer will be able to enter an enjoyable area to watch the many stages happen. Usable by nearly every age group, this product would create a more entertaining space for the wastewater treatment plant museum.
I want the audience to the with the following:
I want people to learn about the wastewater treatment process, through interactivity. I want them to have a feeling of content while viewing, and feel as if they know more about the methods used. I would also like them to know the different forms of filtration used in daily life.
The story my exhibit tells is:
My exhibit will tell the story of how all of the different forms of filtration and processing work together in order to supply our city with clean and usable water. This model has many different parts that are capable of adjustment, such as lights pumps and motors. It will pump water through it constantly showing each unique piece and its use in the process. The viewer will watch from a bird's eye view into pipes representing each unique step. The top will be open and be able to have small parts added to it in order to show the filtration in action. The model is made out of PVC pipe and water tubes. The water is run with a small pond pump and the aeration tank uses a fish tank bubbler.
Target audience
My goal is to target the mass majority of people. Through the engaging learning style i hope that most people will understand and participate in the process of this model. The ages I hope to reach with this is everyone. The reason that I want to reach everyone with this model is because of the viewing design most people will be able to see each step as it happens. For the younger audience members the model is see through and has many different parts to it, thus allowing them to be engaged and interested. For the older audience members I will have unit descriptions that tell what each part does and the science behind it. I hope that it will provide a fun way to learn about our local filtration.
Interaction length and Style of Engagement:
I hope people will view the complete process and enjoy learning about the methods used by our city to filter water. The sense I hope they will receive from my project is a sense of wonder as they watch. In viewing my project the general public will receive a greater sense of what happens in day to day life.
Defense:
I believe that my project deserves a spot at the wastewater museum because my project teaches people about the process of the treatment used on our water. I hope that a more finalized version of my project would be able to make a great addition to the inmersion of the museum.