EXP RIMENT
The Entholpy of Combustion of o Vegetoble Oil
l.
Purpose
(
. Explore the idea of food as fuel.
. Construct a simple calorimeter for measuring the
(. energy produced by burning vegetable oil.
i-- Pre-Lob Preporotion
From a strictly material viewpoint, human beings are
L biochemical engines that require both a fuel and an
oxidant. The oxidant is oxygen in the air. The fuel is
the food we eat, which consists of carbohydrates
(starches and sugars), fats, and proteins, plus traces
t of minerals, vitamins, and other substances we need
for good nutrition. The big three (carbohydrates,
fats, and proteins) all contain carbon and hydrogen,
f and most of the carbon and hydrogen we eat in our
food is metabolized to carbon dioxide and water.
This is equivalent to burning the food and suggests
L
I
the possibility that we could measure the fuel equiv-
alent of the food we eat by burning it in a calorimeter
\-* and measuring the energy produced as heat.
t Energy needs of the body
What are the energy requirements of our bodies, and
(* how do our bodies use the energy contained in the
food we eat? Careful studies have shown that food
L energy requirements depend on factors such as age,
weight, physical activity, and gender (males require
about 10% more energy per kilogram of body weight
than females).
A surprisingly large fraction of the food we eat is
(_-' required to sustain basic cell functions necessary for
the maintenance of life-such as the ongoing meta-
L bolic activities of each cell, the circulation of the
blood by the beating of the heart, the rhythmic con-
traction of the lungs in breathing, and the mainte-
L nance of body temperature. These minimum energy
needs, called the basal metabolic rate (BMR), must be
L met before any energy can be used for physical activ-
ity or for the digestion of food. As a rough rule of
thumb, a college-age male requires about 1.0 kcal per
kilogram of body weight per hour and a college-age
female requires 0.9 kcal per kilogram per hour.
(- (Problem: Verify that a young I40-lb woman would
L
require 1375 kcal per day for her BMR. Assume that
1 kg : 2.2 lb. Also note that the nutritional calorie
used to express the caloric value of food portions is
actually 1000 calories, or I kilocalorie.)L
The second component of the total energy
requirement is the energy required for physical
activity that involves voluntary use of the skeletal
muscles. The amount of energy required depends on
how many muscles are involved, how much weight is
being moved, and how long the activity lasts. Con-
trary to popular belief, mental effort requires very
little extra energy, although it may make you feel
tired. The energy requirements for a sedentary
(mostly sitting) activity like playing video games or
Web surfing amount to about 20% of the BMR. Light
activity (such as that of a teacher or student)
requires about 30% of the BMR. Moderate to heavy
activity, such as that of a nurse or athlete, may
require energy amounting to 40 to 50% of the BMR.
The third component of the energy requirement
has to do with digesting our food. When food is
eaten, many cells that have been dormant begin to be
active-for example, the cells that manufacture and
secrete digestive juices and the muscle cells that
move food through the intestinal tract. This require-
ment is about 10% of the total kilocalories used for
BMR and physical activity.
Now let's go back and add up the daily energy
requirements of our hypothetical 140-lb young
woman. Her BMR requirement is about I375 kcal/
day. Assuming light activity, we will add 30% of
the BMR for physical activity, or 412 kcal. Now add
L0% of the sum (1375 + 412 kcal : 1787 kcal), or
179 kcal, for digestion offood to get a grand total of
1966 kcal/day as her approximate requirement. Of
course, these figures are based on several estimates,
so her needs might fall within +100 kcal/day of the
estimated value.
Note that 70% (1375 out of 1966 kcal) of her daily
food requirement is required just to sustain her BMR.
If she increases her physical activity but does not
increase her food consumption, she will lose weight.
lOne kilocalorie is the energy required to increase the tempera
ture of one kilogram of water by 1 oC.
t6-t

t6-2 The Entholpy of Combustion of o Vegetoble Oil
A deficit of 125 kcal/day brings about the loss of
body fat at,the safe rate of about a pound per month.
(A pound of body fat is not pure fat but a mixture of
fat, water, and protein, and yields about 3500 kcal
when burned. A pound of pure fat would yield about
4040 kcal when burned.)
Combustion colorimetry
The caloric content of food is determined by burning
it in a closed metal calorimeter pressurized with
oxygen and completely surrounded by water. The
calorimeter can be calibrated by burning a substance
whose heat of combustion has been accurately deter-
mined. The method we will employ to measure the
heat (enthalpy) of combustion of a vegetable oil is
similar in principle, but the calorimeter we will use is
a crude version of the combustion calorimeter used
for accurate scientific work.
In this experiment, we will use a lamp that burns
oil. The heat from the burning oil will be used to heat
water, and the temperature increase of the water will
be a measure of the energy produced in the combus-
tion. The enthalpy change for a sample of water that
is heated from temperature I, to temperature 7"2
given by
A.H: m.Cp.LT
where AH is the enthalpy change in calories (in this
example, heat absorbed by water), ,rr is the mass of
water in grams, C" is the heat capacity (at constant
pressure) in cal .g-1 .K-1, and ATis the temperature
change (LT: T2 - fr) in Kelvin (or Celsius) degrees.
When the oil burns, not all of the energy released
finds its way into the water heated in the calorimeter,
so it is necessary to determine the efficiency of the
calorimeter (the fraction of energy that is captured)
by burning a substance whose heat of combustion is
known. We will use I-decanol, CH3(CH2),OH, whose
enthalpy of combustion has been determined to be
9.9 kcal/g, to calibrate the calorimeter. To do this, we
will burn a known mass of 1-decanol under the same
conditions used to burn a known mass of vegetable
oil. The measured enthalpy change for the vegetable
oil will then be divided by the efficiency to get a cor-
rected value that will approximate the true value for
the enthalpy of combustion of vegetable oil.
AHttu""d
AH.ombr,
'tion:ffiffiff
Experimentol Procedure
Special Supplies: l2-oz aluminum beverage can (cut
the top out with a can opener); three-finger clamp with
ring stand; alcohol lamps (filled wirh a vegetable oil);
I
0 to lI0
"C thermometer; I00-mL graduated cylinder;
steel wool; l8-in.-wide heavy duty aluminum foil; size
I
33 rubber bands; scissors.
Candles can be substituted for the 1-decanol lamps,
cutting the number of lamps required in half (see Notes
to Instructor). Votive candles or "tea" candles in metal
cups (approximately 4 cm in diameter and 2-5 cm high)
are the most suitable.
Chemicals: I-decanol; vegetable oil (canola, cotton- i
seed, safflower, sunflower, peanut, etc.)
W NorEs ro tNsrRucroR W
Alcohol lamps with 4-oz (120-mL) capacity and
larger-than-ordinary wicks are available from VWR
Scientific (l-800-932-5000) as Catalog No. 17805-
005. An analytical balance with 300-9 capacity is
required for weighing the lamps when they are filled.
Put a permanent label on each lamp, specifying
the liquid that the lamp contains. If half of the lamps
are filled with 1-decanol and the other half filled with
vegetable oil, half of the class can do part I (burning
is
1-decanol) while the other half is doing part 2 (burn-
ing vegetable oil). Then students can exchange lamps
(t) to complete the experiment. If kept capped when not
in use, lamps can be stored and reused without emp-
l
tying and refilling.
The number of lamps can be reduced by half
by using votive candles or "tea" candles in metal
cups to measure calorimeter efficiency in place of
lamps containing 1-decanol. If candles are used,
take the enthalpy of combustion of the candles to be i*
I0.0 kcal/g.
Increasing the energy-capture efficiency. lf the 6--
room is drafty, the flame may wander, allowing a sig-
nificant amount of energy to escape. The efficiency
of energy capture can be improved by doing two
things: (I) Wrap a 5 x 9 in. (13 x 23 cm) sheet of
heavy-duty aluminum foil around the can to make a \:"-
skirt that extends about 3 cm below the bottom of
the can to capture a greater fraction of energy. The
skirt can be held in place with a rubber band.
(2)Make a draft shield by folding an I8 x t8 in. (45 x
45 cm) piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil in half
twice to make a 4-layer-thick piece of foil 4.5 x I8 in.
Fold the foil into a 4.S-in.-high cylinder by wrapping
(2)
it around a liter bottle. Overlap the ends, holding
them in place with a paper clip. At the bottom of the I
cylinder, cut three slots about 2 cm wide and 2 cm
high, folding the 2 x 2 cm flaps up to make apertures l
through which air can enter. Place the draft shield
around the lamp, centering the aluminum can over I
the lamp. When the lamp is lit, the bottom edge of
\-
the skirt wrapped around the aluminum can should
be positioned just above the tip of the flame. Taking
these steps will typically increase the energy capture
efficiency to >65% and improve the reproducibility
of the measurements.
Using a can opener, cut the top out of a 12-oz alu-
minum beverage can. Mount the can vertically with a
three-finger clamp held on a ring stand, shown in
Figure 16-1. (To improve energy-capture efficiency,
make an aluminum foil skirt and draft shield as
described in the Notes to Instructor.)
12-oz aluminum
beverage can
(--
t At the end of the experiment, pour out the water
L soot is normal. If the coat is heavy, the wick should be
i
t6-t .i A simple combustion calorimeter
FIGURE
I using an aluminum beverage can with the top
cut out. An aluminum foil skirt on the can and a
draft shield around the lamp (not shown) are
recommended to improve the energy-capture
efficiency. (See Notes to Instructor.)
The Entholpy of Combustion of o Vegetoble Oil r6-3
Parts 1 and 2 can be done in either order. Follow
the directions of your instructor. Wipe off any oil on
the metal cap surrounding the wick. Check that the
wick is flush with the end of the metal tube holding
it, and use scissors to trim off any stray threads. (lf
the wick protrudes from the metal shield, you will
get a large, bushy, sooty flame, and combustion will
be incomplete.) Light your lamp and see that it burns
in a satisfactory manner. If the lamp is difficult to
light, or burns with too sooty a flame, try pushing out
the wick a bit, trimming it with scissors, then push-
ing it back in until it is flush with the metal tube.
If you put an aluminum-foil skirt on the can, the
bottom of the aluminum skirt should be positioned
just above the tip of the flame. Blow out the flame,
and allow the lamp to cool for a minute or two.
7. Calibration of the Calorimeter After the lamp
has cooled, weigh the 1-decanol lamp (or a candle-
see Notes to Instructor) on the analytical balance and
record the mass to the nearest milligram.
Using your 100-mL graduated cylinder, measure
out exactly 100 mL of water and pour it into the alu-
minum can, being very careful not to spill any water
on the outside of the can. Stir the water thoroughly
with a thermometer, then read the temperature to
the nearest 0.2 "C, and record it.
Position the weighed 1-decanol lamp under the
can, light the lamp with a match, and carefully center
the flame under the bottom of the can. (A draft shield
will keep the flame steadier (see Notes to Instructor).
Lift up the draft shield to light the lamp, then quickly
lower it into position.)
Stir the water continuously with a thermometer;i
when the temperature of the water in the calorimeter
has risen about l8-20'C above room temperature,
remove the lamp and blow out the flame. Keep stir-
ring the water in the calorimeter, recording the high-
est temperature attained to the nearest 0.2 'C.
When the lamp has cooled for two or three
minutes, reweigh it and record the mass. You now
have the necessary data to calibrate the calorimeter,
using the known heat of combustion of I-decanol
(9.9 kcal/g) and the known heat capacity of water.
and look at the bottom of the can. A light coating of
trimmed and the measurement repeated. Take care
that there is no water on the outside of the can when
you start a measurement. Between each measurement,
wipe off the excess soot with a paper towel or by scour-
ing it with steel wool. If your instructor so directs,
repeat the measurement. With care, the temperature
change of the water divided by the mass change of the
lamp should agree within 10% for the two trials.
l6-4 The Entholpy of Combustion of o Vegetoble Oil
i
2. Enthalpy of Combustion of a Vegetable OiI
Record in your report the type of vegetable oil used.
Weigh to the nearest milligram and record the mass
of the lamp containing vegetable oil. Using exactly
the same procedure as in part l, put exactly 100 mL
of water in the calorimeter can and carry out the tem-
perature measurements, heating, and weighing as
before. Record the initial and final temperatures of
the water; also record the mass of the vegetable oil
lamp after it has cooled.
By assuming that the fraction of the heat cap-
tured by the calorimeter is the same for the veg-
etable oil lamp as for the l-decanol lamp, you now
have the necessary data to calculate the heat of com-
bustion of vegetable oil. If your instructor so directs,
repeat the measurements to obtain a duplicate set of
values. Take care that there is no water on the out-
side of the can when you start each measurement,
and remember to keep the wick trimmed and to wipe
off excess soot after each measurement.
When all of the measurements are completed, cap
the lamps. Calculate the efficiency of the calorimeter
from the data obtained in part 1 and the enthalpy of
combustion of the vegetable oil from the measured
efficiency and the data obtained in part 2.
ill;}$ffi$if,r,,i coNsrDER THrs iil ..."..."
Peanuts, once ignited, burn rather briskly. Burning
half a Planter's brand peanut, weighing about 0.5 g,
provides enough energy to heat 100 mL of water
about I5 "C. To make a suitable holder for the
peanut, wind a conical spiral on the end of a 15-cm
length of 20-gauge nichrome wire. (The conical end
of a cork borer sharpener makes an ideal form for
winding the spiral.)
To determine the heat of combustion of a peanut
half, weigh it, place it in the wire holder, ignite it by
holding the flame of a match under it until it begins
burning, then hold it under the aluminum can
containing 100 mL of water. (lf you're using a draft
shield, you will need to cut a narrow slot in the
shield through which you can thrust the wire holder
and peanut.) The peanut burns with a large sooty
flame and typically leaves behind a blackened bit of
ash in the peanut's original shape. (Subtract the mass
of the ash to get the net mass of peanut burned.) You
can compare the value you get with the nutritional
information on the container label.
Suppose that you did not put salad dressing
equivalent to one tablespoon of vegetable oil on your
salad at dinner. How many fewer kilocalories would
you have eaten as fat? Assume that one tablespoon
of oil has a volume of 15 mL, a density of 0.92 g/mL, L
and supplies 8.8 kcal/g of oil when consumed. (Also
recall that I nutritional calorie is equal to I kcal.)
Bicycle riders in the Tour de France (a 20-day,
2000-mile bicycle race) require about 5000 kcal/day
to maintain their energy needs-about 2.5 times the
energy requirement for a person involved in more
normal activities. How many loaves of bread would \,_
this be equivalent to, assuming 17 slices per loaf of
bread, each slice (40 g) providing about 100 kcal?
t*
\.
\-
o ,.1
REPORT I6
The Enthalpy of Combustion of a Name
Vegetable Oil
Date Section

Locker lhclrrralnr

Doto ond Colculotions

l. Cqlibrotion of the oluminum con colorimetrer by the combustion of I -deconol

Note: If you used a candle in place of a 1-decanol lamp for calibration, assume in step (i) that the enthalpy of
combustion of the wax candle is 10.0 kcal/g.

Data Trial I Trial 2

(a) Initial mass of lamp (or candle): o g

(b) Final mass of lamp (or candle): o o

(c) Milliliters of water placed in calorimeter: mL mL

.C .C
(d) Initial temperature of water in calorimeter:
(e) Final temperature of water in calorimeter: .C "C

Calculations
(f) Mass of I-decanol (or candle) burned: g o

.C .C
(g) Temperature rise of water in calorimeter:
(h) Heat absorbed by water
(A,H : m. Cp. LT. i kcal/1000 cal)
(assume that the density of water is 1.00 g/ml
and the Co for water is I.00 cal . g 1 . K-1): kcal kcal

(i)Heat produced by burning

(A,H: m, decanotburned x 9.9 kcal/g): kcal kcal

. heat absorbed
= r,*t p.oau."a
u' tlnclencY

(k) Average efficiency :

2. Entholpy of combustion of o vegetoble oil

Data Trial I Trial 2

Type of vegetable oil used:

(a) Initial mass of vegetable oil lamp: o

(b) Final mass of vegetable oil lamp: o

(c) Milliliters of water placed in calorimeter: mL mL

.C .C
(d) Initial temperature of water in calorimeter:
.C
(e) Final temperature of water in calorimeter: "C

r 6'5
\-
$
 Calculations Trial I Tlial 2
(f) Mass of vegetable oil burned: o o
b
(g) Temperature rise of water in calorimeter: .C .C

(h) Heat absorbed by water

\-
(AH : m. Cp. AT. 1 kcal/1000 cal)
(assume that the density of water is 1.00 g/ml
and the Cp for water is 1.00 cal . g-1 . K-l;; kcal kcal
(i) Calculate the enthalpy of combustion per gram of vegetable oil by using the average efficiency
calculated in part 1.

rr heat absorbed by water I

^
average efficiency ffioil burned

kcat/g kcal/e

$) Calculate the percentage relative error, assuming the true value for the enthalpy of combustion of
vegetable oil to be 8.84 kcal/g.

-\H' o'u 8 84 kcal-B

percentage relative error - 8.84 kcatTg
r 00r"
L
o/
/o o/
/o

coNst DE R TH ts,ffiffii*?::,)i.
l. Suppose that you did not put salad dressing equivalent to one tablespoon of vegetable oil on your salad at
dinner. How many fewer nutritional calories would you have eaten as fat? Assume that 1 tablespoon of oil has
a volume of 15 mL, a density of 0.92 g/mL, and supplies 8.8 kcal/g of oil when consumecl. (Also recall that
1 nutritional calorie is equal to t kcal.)

2. How many loaves of bread would a bicycle rider in the Tour de France have to eat daily to supply a
requirement of 5000 kcal/day? Assume 17 slices of bread per loaf with each slice (40 g) supplying I00 kcal.

t6-6