“In science, and especially in chemistry, careful weighing and measuring are important for reproducible results. If someone cannot reproduce your results, there is little point in doing the experiment.” - Culinary Reactions, Simon Quellen Field

What does an olive have to do with an airline’s budget? What do onions and apples have in common? I need to eat, you need to eat — we all need to eat. In this episode of STEM in 30 we’ll explore how the simple act of eating, under certain circumstances, can become complicated, and with some help from our friends, we’ll dive into the chemistry of cooking.

Learning Standards:

  • NGSS: 5-PS1-3.Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties. 
  • NGSS: 5-PS1-2.Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved. Chemistry - chemical reactions 
  • NGSS: MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. 
  • NGSS: MS-PS1-4. Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.

Teacher Tips

About STEM in 30

STEM in 30 is an Emmy-nominated program for middle school students produced by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. These 30 minute episodes are great for classroom use. New episodes are released every month, featuring hands-on activities, explanations of aviation and space topics aligned with national standards, and interviews with experts from the Museum and beyond.

STEM in 30 is made possible by Boeing, Hexcel, and Safran.

Created:

September 2023

Source:

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

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Smithsonian Terms of Use