1
Question
Which type of flour will create the densest muffin?
Variables
Independent Variable-flour (cups)
Dependent Variable- density (millimeters)
Controlled Variables-procedure (temperature, time) ingredients (teaspoons, tablespoons, cups)
Hypothesis
If the type of flour used to bake a muffin is changed, then the density will be affected.
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Background Research
Different types of flour can affect the density of a muffin. There are many different terms
and formulas involved in this experiment. Other people have conducted and tested this
experiment before. Many background questions about this experiment must be answered. This
experiment will teach people how to measure density and how density is affected.
There are many key concepts and formulas required for this experiment. Density is one
important term. It is a dense condition or quality; having parts very close together; compactness;
or thickness. The formula for density is mass divided by volume (D=M/V). Mass is another
important topic in this experiment. It is the measure of the amount of matter in an object, and the
formula for mass is density times volume (M=DxV). Volume is also an important term. It is the
measure or size of an object that is three-dimensional or region of space in dependent of its
shape, and the formula for volume is length times width times height (V=LxWxH). Flour is a
fine, white, powdery substance. It can be made by grinding and sifting wheat or other grains, or
any soft, fine powder. A muffin, which is the main item of this experiment, is a small, round
cake that is made of wheat flour or corn meal. This experiment has many vital concepts.
Kasey N. Nakajima did this experiment. She was looking to see which flour would make
the densest muffin. She believed that soy flour would make it the densest, but found out that oat
flour made the densest muffin. Kasey calculated the density by measuring the volume and the
weight. Kasey’s project was quite a success.
There were many questions that needed to be answered for this project. The different
types of flours are white, whole wheat, rye, soy, oat, all purpose, and unbleached. Flour is made
by grinding together grains or other starchy plant foods and is used in baking. To measure the
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density, submerge the muffin in water and measure the change in the water level. There are lots
of questions to answer.
Baking muffins is not exactly rocket science, but it is fairly difficult. To bake a muffin,
many ingredients are needed, such as flour (of course), butter, sugar, baking soda, salt,
cinnamon, carrots, parsnips, raisins, pecans, coconut, apples, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla
extract. Certain amounts of each ingredient are needed as well. A strict procedure must also be
followed. The oven needs to be heated to three hundred fifty degrees Fahrenheit, and the rack
must be centered. Then, sift certain ingredients into a bowl and add the fruits veggies, etc. In a
different bowl, combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla, and then whisk it. Combine the two mixtures
and stir it. Then pour the mixture into the cups, put the cups in the pan, and cook them for thirtyfive minutes. Take the muffins out of the oven and transfer them to a wire rack. Make sure to let
the muffins cool for five minutes in the rack. Then remove the muffins from pan and let them
cool completely before eating them. Many things must be known in order to bake a muffin.
This experiment teaches about muffins and how their density is affected. Many key
concepts must be defined, and formulas must be known, like volume, mass, density, flour or
muffin. Kasey N. Nakajima conducted this experiment a couple of years ago, and her results
were quite helpful. She found oat flour created the densest muffin. Many questions about the
background of this experiment must be answered and known in order to conduct this experiment
perfectly. How to make a muffin or how to measure the density of a muffin are both great
questions to ask. This experiment will show how different types of flours, such as unbleached, all
purpose, oat, soy, rye, whole wheat, and white, can easily affect the density of an ordinary
muffin.
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Materials List
Yields a dozen [12] muffins
•
2 cups all-purpose bleached flour
•
2 cups white flour
•
2 cups whole wheat flour
•
2 cups rye flour
•
2 cups soy flour
•
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
•
1 cup sugar
•
2 teaspoons baking soda
•
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•
½ teaspoon salt
•
1 cup grated carrots
•
1 cup grated parsnips
•
¼ cup golden raisins
•
¼ cup dark raisins
•
½ cup chopped pecans
•
½ cup shredded coconut
•
1 Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
•
2 large eggs
•
1 cup vegetable oil
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•
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•
butter to grease wells of pan OR 12 cupcake cups
•
an oven
•
a cupcake pan
•
a sifter
•
2 bowls
•
1 spoon
•
1 whisk
•
measuring cups and spoons (cups, teaspoons, tablespoons)
•
2 oven mitts or pot holders
•
wire rack
•
1 Pyrex measuring cup (millimeter measurement)
•
600 millimeters cold tap water
•
some paper to record density
•
a #2 pencil
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Experimental Procedures
1.
Gather all materials and lay out on counter.
2.
Put all ingredients into proper measuring cups.
3.
Preheat oven to 350oF and position rack in center of oven. [If not using muffin cups then
grease wells of the muffin pan with butter and set aside.]
4.
Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the
carrots, parsnips, raisins, pecans, coconut, and apple. Separate those evenly depending on
how many different flours are being used. USE DIFFERENT FLOUR IN EACH MIX!!
5.
In another bowl, combine the eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and whisk until
smooth. Separate these evenly as well.
6.
Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir until the batter is just blended.
7.
Spoon equal amounts of the batter into wells.
8.
Bake until the muffins spring back to the touch and are golden brown, approximately 35
minutes.
9.
Using oven mitts or pot holders, carefully remove the muffins from the oven and transfer
to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. CAUTION: MUFFIN PAN WILL BE HOT WHEN
REMOVED FROM OVEN!!
10.
Remove the muffins from the muffin pan and set aside to cool completely.
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11.
To measure the muffin’s density, submerge it in a Pyrex measuring cup filled with water
and measure the change in water level. Be sure to remove the cupcake cup if they were
used. Record your results on a T-Chart (one heading “muffin number” the other “density”
millimeters)
12.
Repeat this experiment (steps 1-11) at least 3 times to ensure accuracy.
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Data Analysis and Discussion
Density of a Muffin Depending on Flour Type
Density of a Muffin Depending on Flour Type
800
Density( milliliters)
780
760
740
Muffin 1
720
700
Muffin 2
680
Muffin 3
660
640
Type of Flour
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Average Density for Each Type of Flour
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Conclusions
In this experiment, three dozen muffins were baked with all the same ingredients and at
all the same temperatures and times. The only thing that changed was the flour type, and that
impacted the density of each individual muffin greatly, as shown in the graphs. As a result, the
densest type of flour was all-purpose bleached. The two least dense flour types were whole
wheat and soy, and in between were all-purpose unbleached and rye. The hypothesis was proven
to be correct: if the flour type is changed, then the density will be affected.
The project examined was quite successful. There were not any major issues with the
experiment. If one were to study farther, it would be even clearer as to which flour creates the
densest muffin. There is nothing else to be done to make this experiment improve. The main
goal, which was to see which flour type creates the densest muffin, was met.
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Acknowledgements
First of all, I would like to thank my science teacher, Miss DiFranco, for spending the
past four months helping me to perform my first independent Science Fair. I would like to thank
my mother and father for helping me gather my materials by taking me to the grocery store three
times. I would like to thank my English teacher, Mrs. Penkava, and my librarian, Mrs. Nally, for
helping me with my research and bibliography. Thank you to everyone who helped my Science
Fair project become a success!!
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