Colour Marshmallows Experiment

To summarize, the aim of the IA was to investigate how different colour marshmallows affects the calories (energy content) of marshmallows using different colour marshmallows, graduated cylinder, small aluminum can, glass stir rod, thermometer, and a lighter. Different variables were recorded throughout the experiment (ex. temperature, the mass of marshmallows, volume of the water, etc.). When the raw data was processed, and the error analysis was made, it was then discovered that the results were significantly different from the actual energy content value. The percent error of this experiment of between 92% - 93%. As mentioned previously, many uncertainties and/or errors may have swayed the results, thus leading to this discrepancy. Not

The data obtained (energy content) in the experiment was significantly inaccurate compared to the actual energy content of the marshmallows. Even though the result was inaccurate it still agreed with the hypothesis, the white/original marshmallows have slightly lower calories (energy content) compare to the coloured marshmallows. In my opinion, this slight change in calories occurred because one of ingredient, food colouring. Though food colouring doesn’t have much effect on the calories yet, it still affects the overall calories to a certain extent. Therefore the investigation agreed to the hypothesis to a certain extent. Also, based on the data collected, the colour marshmallows the dark/bright colours (red, green) had more calories than the light colour marshmallows (yellow, orange) because of the amount of food colouring used in each marshmallow. This related back to the background information, about how some food provide/contain more energy than other foods. The different marshmallows used in this investigation were from the same brand and was the same size, the only difference between them was that one of the marshmallows had colour while the other did not