Can you make a chemical recipe For a chocolate chip cookie recipe? For an 8th grader.

Ingredient List: List all of the ingredients needed for your recipe. Include quantitative values (amounts and units) for each ingredient. For ingredients that are simple molecules, include the chemical name.
Include the total mass of the ingredients that you use
Chemical Ingredients: Describe the chemical and physical properties of at least four of your ingredients before cooking.
Include the complete chemical formula for at least two of the ingredients in your recipe.
Recipe Procedures: Give a step-by-step procedure for preparing your recipe here. It should be clear and detailed enough that someone else could follow it to make your dish. Include quantitative values for amounts, times, and temperatures where applicable.
Recipe Observations: Give at least four pieces of evidence you can observe that a chemical change is occurring while preparing or cooking your recipe.
Give at least two examples of chemical reactions that occur during cooking, using evidence to show how you know. Identify the reactants and products, the type of reaction (synthesis, decomposition, combustion, or replacement), and whether they are exothermic or endothermic.
For at least one chemical reaction, include a balanced chemical equation.
Results/Final Product: Describe the final product after it is finished cooking, including its physical and chemical properties.
Compare the properties of the final product to the initial ingredients.
Conservation of Mass:Measure (or estimate as best you can) the total mass of your final product. Compare it to the mass of your original ingredients.
Use the evidence from your results to support (or not) the idea of conservation of mass.
If the initial and final masses were different, explain where mass may have been gained or lost.

1 answer

Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredient List:

  1. All-purpose flour (C₆H₁₀O₅) - 2 1/4 cups (about 280 grams)
  2. Granulated sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) - 3/4 cup (about 150 grams)
  3. Brown sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) - 3/4 cup (about 165 grams)
  4. Butter (C₁₈H₃₄O₂) - 1 cup (about 227 grams)
  5. Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon (about 5 mL)
  6. Eggs - 2 large (approximately 100 grams total)
  7. Baking soda (NaHCO₃) - 1 teaspoon (about 5 grams)
  8. Salt (NaCl) - 1/2 teaspoon (about 3 grams)
  9. Chocolate chips (dehydrated cocoa solids and sugar) - 2 cups (about 340 grams)

Total Mass of Ingredients: Total approximate mass of all ingredients: 280g (flour) + 150g (granulated sugar) + 165g (brown sugar) + 227g (butter) + 5g (vanilla) + 100g (eggs) + 5g (baking soda) + 3g (salt) + 340g (chocolate chips) = 1,275 grams


Chemical Ingredients:

  1. All-Purpose Flour (C₆H₁₀O₅): This is a powdery solid made from grinding wheat grains. It's primarily composed of carbohydrates, protein, and small amounts of fats. It is white or light beige in color and has a slightly grainy texture.

  2. Baking Soda (NaHCO₃): This is a white crystalline powder (sodium bicarbonate) that acts as a leavening agent. It is slightly alkaline and can react with acids, producing carbon dioxide gas when moisture is present.

  3. Granulated Sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁): Commonly known as table sugar, it is a sweet, soluble white crystalline solid that dissolves easily in water.

  4. Butter (C₁₈H₃₄O₂): A yellowish solid that melts when heated. It is composed mainly of fats and provides flavor and moisture to baked goods.

Chemical Formulas:

  • Baking Soda: NaHCO₃
  • Butter: C₁₈H₃₄O₂

Recipe Procedures:

  1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

  3. Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 cup of softened butter with 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).

  4. Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in 2 large eggs one at a time, then add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix until incorporated.

  5. Combine Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until just combined.

  6. Add Chocolate Chips: Fold in 2 cups of chocolate chips with a spatula until evenly distributed.

  7. Scoop the Dough: Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets, leaving space between each cookie for spreading.

  8. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.

  9. Cool: Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.


Recipe Observations:

  1. Color Change: The cookies change color from a doughy light color to a golden brown as they bake.
  2. Texture Change: The cookie dough starts as a soft mixture and becomes firmer as it bakes.
  3. Smell: A sweet aroma is released as the sugars caramelize and the butter melts and browns.
  4. Bubble Formation: Bubbles form in the dough as the baking soda reacts to create carbon dioxide gas, which helps the cookies rise.

Chemical Reactions:

  1. Baking Soda Reaction: When baking soda (NaHCO₃) is heated, it breaks down into sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), water (H₂O), and carbon dioxide (CO₂).

    • Balanced Equation: \[ 2 \text{NaHCO}_3 \rightarrow \text{Na}_2\text{CO}_3 + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{CO}_2\uparrow \]
    • Type of Reaction: This is a decomposition reaction.
    • Endothermic: Heat is absorbed during the reaction.
  2. Maillard Reaction: As the cookies bake, sugars (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) react with amino acids from the proteins in flour, leading to browning and flavor development.

    • Type of Reaction: Synthesis-type reaction (forming complex molecules).
    • Evidence: The color of the cookies darkens and various flavors develop.

Results/Final Product:

The final product is a batch of delicious, golden-brown chocolate chip cookies. They are chewy on the inside and slightly crispy on the edges. Physical properties include a soft texture and sweet aroma. Chemically, the sugars have caramelized, and proteins have formed new flavors.

Comparison of Properties:

  • Initial ingredients were mostly white powders and solid fats that were bland in flavor.
  • The final cookies are sweet, brown, and have a complex flavor due to the Maillard reaction and other chemical changes during baking.

Conservation of Mass:

Total Mass of Final Product: The total mass of baked cookies is approximately 1,150 grams (estimating some loss during cooling and handling).

  • Initial Mass: 1,275 grams
  • Final Mass: 1,150 grams

Conservation of Mass Analysis: The mass appears to have decreased. Potential losses could be due to:

  • Water evaporation during baking.
  • Scraping and handling not all dough was used in the final product.

This reflects the conservation of mass, as the mass before and after would account for any losses occurring during the baking process, reaffirming that the fundamental mass of matter is conserved even if the form changes.