Question

1. look at the nutrition facts label from the cereal you used. (if you dont have it, use the cheerios label from this paper.)

a. write the mass unit that total fat, total carbohydrate, and protein are listed in.
b. write the mass unit that sodium and potassium are listed in.
c. what does this tell you about the relative amounts of fat, carbohydrate, and protein molecules in cereal compared to the amount of individual elements in cereal?

1. would you estimate that the amount of iron you obtained would best be measured in milligrams, grams, or kilograms? explain your answer.
2. discuss the properties of the cereal and of the water before and after you performed the procedure. did you see any major changes in properties? did the color change very much? was there a change in the energy (did it get hot or cold)?
3. complete the claims-evidence-reasoning grid to answer the questions below.

you must use evidence from this activity in each.

	my claim	my evidence from this activity	my reasoning
is cereal a mixture or a compound?

Explanation:

Question 5c

Step1: Analyze unit sizes

Grams (g) are larger than milligrams (mg). Total Fat, Carbohydrate, Protein use grams; sodium, potassium (elements) use milligrams.

Step2: Relate units to amounts

Larger units (grams) for macromolecules (fat, carb, protein) mean their amounts are greater (per serving) than individual elements (sodium, potassium) measured in milligrams. So fat, carb, protein molecules are present in relatively larger quantities than individual elements like sodium/potassium in cereal.

Step1: Evaluate unit appropriateness

Kilograms (kg) are too large (iron in cereal is not that much). Grams (g) are also too large for typical iron content in cereal (which is a trace mineral). Milligrams (mg) are small units suitable for trace amounts.

Step2: Explain based on context

Iron in cereal is a trace nutrient, so its amount per serving is very small. Milligrams are appropriate for measuring small quantities, grams would be too large (e.g., a gram of iron is a relatively large amount for cereal), and kilograms are way too big. Thus, milligrams are best.

Step1: Before procedure

• Cereal: Solid, dry, has a specific color (e.g., brown for many cereals), texture (crunchy).
• Water: Liquid, clear, room temp (or as used), neutral color.

Step2: After procedure

• Cereal: May become soggy, texture changes, maybe some color leaching (water color changes, e.g., turns light brown).
• Water: May become colored (from cereal), maybe some solutes dissolved (if cereal components dissolve), temperature might stay similar (if no chemical reaction, physical process).
• Major changes: Texture of cereal, color of water (if leaching), no big energy change (no heat/cold, physical process mostly).

Answer:

The relative amounts of fat, carbohydrate, and protein molecules in cereal are much larger (per serving) than the amount of individual elements (like sodium, potassium) in cereal, since fat, carb, and protein are listed in grams (a larger unit) while individual elements are in milligrams (a smaller unit).

Question 6