Blubbenbacher Food, Inc

Memo from Blubbenbacher Foods, Inc.

0. Blubbenbacher Foods, Inc America's Number 1 Popcorn Producer Kansas City, Kansas

To: Mrs. Alexander CEO of PreAPIB Chem Industries
Our quality control department is being moved to a different location and will not be able to handle any projects for a few weeks. It has come to our attention that PreAPIB Chem Industries at Robert E. Lee High School has acquired an excellent reputation as a problem solving chemistry laboratory facility and we would like you to conduct the following investigation for us:

The sales of our primary product "Gourmet Popcorn" seems to be losing market share and a number of seemingly unknown brands are creating serious competition. Please, conduct the following research:

1.) Determine the percent by mass water content of our brand and compare it to the competitors' brands.

2.) Determine the kernel density of each brand and relate it to water content

3) Correlate the kernel size with density and water content.

Samples of our brand as well as the competitor's brands are included. We look forward to your test results and report.

Sincerely yours,

0.Blubbenbacher, C.E.O.

Interoffice memo
PREAPIB Chem Industries Robert E. Lee High School InterLab Memo:
As you can see from the attached letter, we have been given the contract to investigate potential quality parameters of several brands of popcorn.

I would like each of you to get into your work groups and brainstorm on the following two ideas: 1) how can we determine the percent by mass water content of this product, and 2) what lab method can you devise to implement your proposal? Since you have previously determined the density of objects, measuring kernel density and kernel size should be a straight-forward procedure.

After coming up with a working hypothesis, and a plan for testing that hypothesis, please show both to me. At that point your group will be given adequate samples of the various products to collect your data. Feel free to share data with other work groups.

PreLab Activities: In your laboratory notebook each work group will submit a report which should include the following sections:

1. Initial Working Hypothesis.

2. Initial Working Plan.

3. Your Data. Table

Each person will submit a formal laboratory report to PreAPIB Chem Industries CEO Mrs. A.

Each Group will submit a letter of response directed to the client outlining what you did, what you found, and how this addresses the question proposed by the client.