The heat of combustion of fructose, C₆H₁₂O₆, is -2812 kJ/mol. If a fresh golden delicious apple weighing 120 g contains 16.0 g of fructose, what caloric content does the fructose contribute to the apple?

Key Concepts

Heat of Combustion

The heat of combustion is the amount of energy released when a substance is completely burned in oxygen. It is typically expressed in kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol). For fructose, the heat of combustion is -2812 kJ/mol, indicating that this amount of energy is released when one mole of fructose is combusted.

Molar Mass

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance, usually expressed in grams per mole (g/mol). For fructose (C6H12O6), the molar mass is approximately 180.18 g/mol. This value is essential for converting between grams of fructose and moles, which is necessary for calculating the energy contribution from the fructose in the apple.

Caloric Content Calculation

Caloric content calculation involves determining the energy provided by a specific mass of a substance based on its heat of combustion. To find the caloric content contributed by fructose in the apple, one must first convert the mass of fructose to moles and then multiply by the heat of combustion to find the total energy released, which can be expressed in kilojoules or converted to calories.