Measuring Techniques

1. If accuracy is desired for an experiment, what measuring devices would you use for small
volumes of liquid material like 60mL which is equivalent to 1/4 cup a 250mL graduated
cylinder, a 100mL, a standard measuring cup or a pint cup?

Given the question we must use any such material which could measure liquids. A
100 mL measuring device would be the most appropriate choice because it is closest to
60mL. The closer amount to 60mL will give more accurate results.
2. How many times would you be multiplying your errors when measuring 4 cups in a regular
standard cup compared to using a large quart cup?

Quartz are larger than cups, one quart makes up 4 standard cups (8 oz). Errors
should be multiplied four times, because measuring big amounts with small measuring
tools will give bigger errors.
3. Why does plastic shortening like margarine or butter weigh less per cup than a melted on or
than cooking off? What makes the volume of the plastic shortening? If consistent amount of fat
is desired to maintain the proportion of this ingredient in a recipe, would you measure its
volume or its weight? Why?

Butter contains around 80% fat while margarine contains up to 80% vegetable fat.
Spreads that contain less than 80% fat by weight and have more water. Tubs of butter or
margarine have air whipped in them, making only sticks should suitable for baking. Plastic
shortening weighs less per cup than if melted because a solid material will be denser than
liquid material when the materials are similar, or almost identical. Weighing is better than
using volumes for recipes. Weight is constant, but the way a cup is filled changes each
time.
4. Why would it be all right to stir the no-sift or pre-sifted flour (as indicated in the label) in the bag
and fill the cup by spoonfuls? Explain on the basis of deviation of weights observed in the class
exercise. What deviations in weight per cup are allowed as tolerable because they are not
significant?

The point of sifting flour used to be to remove lumps and the occasional insect,
although flour is generally free of those concerns nowadays. Sifting loosens up flour that
has been sitting around in storage, aerating it can help your goods to have a lighter
texture. By moving around pre-sifted flour, or pouring it from one container or measuring
device to another, the way it is packed is altered. In a way you can say that the flour was
unsifted. Proper sifting is done straight into the measuring device.
From the exercise it was seen that the sifted flour was much lighter then the
unsifted flour. From the exercise the following table shows the values and deviations
obtained.

5. When would a weighing scale be accurate and precise? When is it precise but inaccurate?
Does this also hold true for a thermometer, a timer or a clock? Explain.

Precision is the closeness of measured values to each other. Accuracy, on the other
hand, is how close a value is to the accepted value. When using a weighing scale, the
values are accurate and precise when the values are close to the exact value being
measured and the measured values from the trials done are close to each other. The
values will be precise but inaccurate when the measured values have decimals because
the values may be near to each other but the exact value was not taken.
The measurement of the actual temperature of a liquid is taken with a thermometer.
The accuracy and precision of the thermometer are affect such measurement, but good
technique is also important for measurement. It is quite possible for an instrument to be
precise, but inaccurate. Often times it is easy to get precise values from a thermometer,
but the degree of accuracy is often dependent on the one reading the values.
6. What is the difference between a thermometer and a thermostat?

A thermometer is used to measure the temperature of a certain object, food or area.

There are many different types of thermometers. A thermostat has a thermometer built into
and is used to control the temperature in a certain place and maintain it. You can control
thermostats, but you cannot control thermometers.
7. When an oven has a thermostat setting of 177 0 C, and the oven thermometer reads 163 0 C,
how should you reset the thermostat to have the two agree? If the thermometer reads 191 0 C,
how should the thermostat be reset? Explain differences in baking time on the basis of the
facts suggested in this exercise?

A thermostat senses the temperature of a system so that the system's temperature

is maintained at a certain point. The thermostat does this by switching heating or cooling
devices on or off, regulating the flow of a heat transfer fluid as needed. A thermostat is a
control unit for a heating or cooling system, they use a variety of sensors to measure the
temperature. The output of the sensor then controls the heating or cooling apparatus. The
output is not proportional to the difference between actual temperature and the set
temperature. The thermostat runs at full capacity until the set temperature is reached, then
shuts off.
Increasing the difference between the thermostat setting and the desired
temperature does not shorten the time it takes to achieve the desired temperature. To
reset the thermostat temperature we have to increase by 14 0 C to make it by 144 0 C.
8. Explain why the two methods in exercise 2A.3 number 2 have equal product (soft-boiled egg).

The products in the exercise turned out the same because temperature and time
are inversely proportional to each other. In the exercise the temperature in the top part of
the boiler was lower, and the egg was cooked longer. At the bottom of the double boiler,

the egg was cooked for a shorter period of time because the temperature was higher. The
higher the temperature given off, the shorter time the egg is cooked for and vice versa.
9. Look up the proper use of the oven, the broiler of a gas-fired oven and that of an electric range.
Differentiate between oven baking and pan baking.

The oven is a kitchen appliance used for roasting and heating. Food cooked in
ovens often include meat, casseroles and baked goods and other desserts. An oven is first
turned on preheated to a specific temperature before the food is added. Broiling is a great
method for getting grill-like results in the kitchen. Both grilling and broiling are fast and
easy, and both use direct, high heat to brown and cook food. Most food will be finish
cooking in 5-10 minutes. It may easily go from having a nice sear to a burn. Only the outer
surfaces of the food is being cooked, which is why thin cuts of meat, quick-cooking fresh
vegetables, and tender food are ideal for broiling. An electric range is a stove that converts
electrical energy into heat to cook and bake. Electric stoves are not as great compared to
gas stoves because it takes longer for the heating element to take effect, and a while for it
to cool down after the heat has been reduced. Electric stoves require flat-bottom pots,
because the cooking surface is shaped that way.
Convection ovens and traditional ovens are different from one another. Convection
ovens bake 25 0 C hotter than traditional ones. Convention ovens use a fan to blow the
hot air to circulation in the oven, allowing the product to bake faster and easily. Convection
ovens are good for treats like pies or cookies, but not for cake.
References:
Brown, A. (2011). Understanding food: Principles and Preparation (4th ed., p. 99,
100, 249, 367). Wadsworth: Cengage Learning.
Luna, MVF (2005). Guzmans Introduction to Food Preparation. Manila: Merriam
and Webster, Inc.
Measuring techniques. (2015). Retrieved August 14, 2015, from
http://www.recipetips.com/kitchen-tips/t--1111/measuring-techniques.asp