Chemistry of Food and Cooking “Fresh Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Basil”
How does cooking transform food and how can these transformations be understood as chemical processes?When cooking food there are lots of transformations that occur, such as change the texture, taste or the appearance of a food. When the energy of heat is applied, you know that chemical changes are happening during the process of the cooking. When a chemical changes happens, the heat causes a rearrangement of atoms which is what causes the color of foods to change. An example of this would be when you cook the base of a pizza, flour and yeast which makes a chemical change between them. The cooking of a pizza is also a chemical reaction because it can't be undone.
There are three different types of cooking that involve different methods of heating, the first is conduction, second is convention, and the third one is radiation. The first method is conduction, conduction cooking is the process of heat being transferred between objects through direct contact, and is known to be the slowest method of heat transfer. The second method is convection, this happens when there is circulation that forces molecules in the air to move from warmer areas to colder ones. As the molecules closest to the heat source become warmer, they rise and are replaced by unheated molecules. The third method is radiation, this happens when heat and light waves strike and penetrate the food. There is no direct contact between the heat source and the cooking of the food. After you cook using one of these methods, you know that there was a chemical reaction because a new substance was created.
In what way(s) are cooking and doing science similar and in what way(s) are they different?
When you think about it, chemistry and cooking are just better ways of understanding the material. In lots of ways cooking and doing science are similar, for example think of a recipe. The recipe for cooking tells you all the items and ingredients you need to mix together, and how much of each ingredient you should use. Along with the temperature of the oven and the time you need to cook or bake it at. In chemistry, you mix substances according to a chemical equation to get your results. For the most part, an equation will indicate the temperature that must be used to cause the chemical reaction.
The difference between cooking and doing science is that science is the process of discovery, and cooking is about making not discovering, so some might argue that cooking can’t be science. A cook focuses on presenting an appealing dish to people who eat at their establishment, but a scientist are professionals who focus on researching issues related to food production.
There are three different types of cooking that involve different methods of heating, the first is conduction, second is convention, and the third one is radiation. The first method is conduction, conduction cooking is the process of heat being transferred between objects through direct contact, and is known to be the slowest method of heat transfer. The second method is convection, this happens when there is circulation that forces molecules in the air to move from warmer areas to colder ones. As the molecules closest to the heat source become warmer, they rise and are replaced by unheated molecules. The third method is radiation, this happens when heat and light waves strike and penetrate the food. There is no direct contact between the heat source and the cooking of the food. After you cook using one of these methods, you know that there was a chemical reaction because a new substance was created.
In what way(s) are cooking and doing science similar and in what way(s) are they different?
When you think about it, chemistry and cooking are just better ways of understanding the material. In lots of ways cooking and doing science are similar, for example think of a recipe. The recipe for cooking tells you all the items and ingredients you need to mix together, and how much of each ingredient you should use. Along with the temperature of the oven and the time you need to cook or bake it at. In chemistry, you mix substances according to a chemical equation to get your results. For the most part, an equation will indicate the temperature that must be used to cause the chemical reaction.
The difference between cooking and doing science is that science is the process of discovery, and cooking is about making not discovering, so some might argue that cooking can’t be science. A cook focuses on presenting an appealing dish to people who eat at their establishment, but a scientist are professionals who focus on researching issues related to food production.
Water Quality in the Animas River Watershed
Project Reflection
I learned about 7 different pollutants, what they are, whey they come from, how much of the pollutant is bad and how the pollutant is treated. I researched bacteria and FOG (fats, oil and grease) and the way they pollute the river. Bacteria are microscopic organisms that are in all living creatures. Some bacteria can be harmful if ingested by humans, and some bacteria are beneficial to humans. The harmful bacteria can be introduced to a water source if a human or animal waste is present. Bacteria can get into a watershed by wildlife, livestock, and faulty septic tanks. I also researched about FOG (fats, oil and grease) and found that this pollutant doesn’t dissolve in water, and can be deadly to aquatic plants and animals. This pollutant can leak out of vehicles, restaurants or homes that pour grease down the drain and then it gets washed into the river.
I feel that I didn’t learn new skills during this project although, I worked on my researching skills, and 3d sketching skills. My group and I had three people, we divided and conquered. We split up the work based on strengths, I ended up doing the art portion of the project along with a little bit of research. I did researched on two pollutants this gave me the opportunity to practice using my research skills, finding good websites. Making 3d sketches has always been a challenge for me, so I did research and looked for pictures to go off of. This made it easier for me to get all of the angles and lengths correct to make a 3d sketch of the table with our 3d map on it. This sketch also required some research, I had to find table measurements that were the right size for the adults to be comfortable and kids to be able to reach up and interact with our project. It was important to have a table that works with each individual in the audience. Overall I feel that I didn’t learn many new skills, but worked on a few skills I already had.
Clean water and the river is important, because so many people in Durango care about the river. People love to raft, fish and enjoy our river, it is an important part of our town. IF it is not clean our community would be different. It important to know about the river and the water treatment that keeps it clean, because we also use the river for drinking water, and there is a lot of pollution that can affect the river, so we need to keep it as clean as possible. If Durango’s river was very polluted, Durango would not be a healthy town, our tourist economy would not survive, Durango people people won’t be able to enjoy the river, and we would not have clean drinking water. It is important to understand water quality as a citizen, because my family has to pay taxes which that goes towards the wastewater treatment plant and filtering our drinking water. Learning about water quality allows me to be informed on what's going on so that I can vote appropriately.
I learned about 7 different pollutants, what they are, whey they come from, how much of the pollutant is bad and how the pollutant is treated. I researched bacteria and FOG (fats, oil and grease) and the way they pollute the river. Bacteria are microscopic organisms that are in all living creatures. Some bacteria can be harmful if ingested by humans, and some bacteria are beneficial to humans. The harmful bacteria can be introduced to a water source if a human or animal waste is present. Bacteria can get into a watershed by wildlife, livestock, and faulty septic tanks. I also researched about FOG (fats, oil and grease) and found that this pollutant doesn’t dissolve in water, and can be deadly to aquatic plants and animals. This pollutant can leak out of vehicles, restaurants or homes that pour grease down the drain and then it gets washed into the river.
I feel that I didn’t learn new skills during this project although, I worked on my researching skills, and 3d sketching skills. My group and I had three people, we divided and conquered. We split up the work based on strengths, I ended up doing the art portion of the project along with a little bit of research. I did researched on two pollutants this gave me the opportunity to practice using my research skills, finding good websites. Making 3d sketches has always been a challenge for me, so I did research and looked for pictures to go off of. This made it easier for me to get all of the angles and lengths correct to make a 3d sketch of the table with our 3d map on it. This sketch also required some research, I had to find table measurements that were the right size for the adults to be comfortable and kids to be able to reach up and interact with our project. It was important to have a table that works with each individual in the audience. Overall I feel that I didn’t learn many new skills, but worked on a few skills I already had.
Clean water and the river is important, because so many people in Durango care about the river. People love to raft, fish and enjoy our river, it is an important part of our town. IF it is not clean our community would be different. It important to know about the river and the water treatment that keeps it clean, because we also use the river for drinking water, and there is a lot of pollution that can affect the river, so we need to keep it as clean as possible. If Durango’s river was very polluted, Durango would not be a healthy town, our tourist economy would not survive, Durango people people won’t be able to enjoy the river, and we would not have clean drinking water. It is important to understand water quality as a citizen, because my family has to pay taxes which that goes towards the wastewater treatment plant and filtering our drinking water. Learning about water quality allows me to be informed on what's going on so that I can vote appropriately.
Artist Design Statement
Project Research