Percent Composition of Swiss
Miss Hot Chocolate Mix
By: Jessica, Lexie, Conor, Caitlyn, and
Michelle
Framing The Investigation
 Purpose: Find the percent composition of Swiss Miss
hot chocolate mix.
 Hypothesis:
 If we find out the percent composition of Swiss Miss hot
chocolate mix then sugar will be 57% of the mixture, non
fat milk will be 15%, modified whey will be 11%, cocoa
will be 6%, corn syrup will be 5%, and hydrogenated
coconut oil will be 4% because this is the order the
ingredients are listed in the label therefore the
percentages will decrease in order and our sugar
percentage is based on the nutritional facts label shown
on the next slide.
Framing the Investigation:
Swiss Miss
Nutrition Facts Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa
Serving Size 1 envelope (28g) - Servings Per Container 60
Amount Per Serving
Calories
Calories from Fat
with 6 oz Water
120
20
with 6 oz2% Milk with Vit. A
210
60
Total Fat
Saturated Fat
Trans Fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Total Carbohydrate
Dietary Fiber
% Daily Value*
2g
4%
2g
10%
0g
0mg
0%
160mg 7%
23g
8%
<1g
4%
6g
5g
0g
20mg 10%
230mg 10%
31g
10%
<1g
4%
Sugars
16g
24g
Protein
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Calcium
Iron
1g
% Daily Value*
10%
25%
7g
0%
0%
30%
4%
6%
0%
50%
4%
*Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
SWISS MISS HOT COCOA INGREDIENTS: SUGAR, NON FAT MILK, MODIFIED WHEY, COCOA, CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED COCONUT OIL LESS
THAN 2% OF: SALT, DIPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CARRAGEENAN.
CONTAINS: MILK.
http://www.discountcoffee.com/SwissMissHotChocolate.htm
Framing the Investigation: SEM

Background: SEM Vocabulary
 Charging - charging is when electrons do not fade in to the atmosphere,
which results in white spots in the image.
 Sputter coat - a sputter coat is a small layer of “paint” (conductive coating)
that coats the sample and serves as a conductor for the electrons to
transfer in to the sample.
 Mounting - mounting happens when you place a small part of the sample
on to the specimen stub.
 Samples - a sample is the substance you are charging and trying to
examine.
 Optical overview image - an optical overview image is the initial image
you see on the computer screen of your substance when it is being
charged.
 Raster scan - a raster scan is the way the electrons are being shot at the
specimen. it produces an image of the different particles that the
substance consists of at very high magnifications.
www.Phenom-world.com/product-information/phenom.php
Tour of The Scope






Uses electrons instead of light
to form an image
A beam of electrons is
produced at the top of the
microscope by heating a
metallic filament
Electron beam follows a
vertical path through the
microscope column
Goes through electromagnetic
lenses which focus and direct
the beam towards the sample
When it hits the sampler,
secondary electrons and
ejected from the sample
Detectors collect the
secondary electrons and
convert them to a signal that is
sent to a viewing screen,
producing an image
http://mse.iastate.edu/microscopy/path2.html
More Specifically…
 The SEM shoots electrons through the electron beam
(broad)
 The electron beam is condensed by the anode
 The magnetic lenses are positively charged, therefore
repelling the electrons into a more focused beam (refined)
 When the electrons hit the sample, other electrons from
the sample bounce off and are transmitted by the
scanning coils, electron detector, and secondary detector.
 These electrons help produce the image of the sample
which shows up on the viewing screen.
http://mse.iastate.edu/microscopy/college.html
Our Sample
20X
NIKON SMZ800 using Canon Rebel XT
Our Technique
 In order to find the percent composition of each
(identifiable) ingredient in the Swiss Miss
mixture, we took magnified pictures and made
scale boxes (squares) at “random” areas within
the picture.
 We mentally divided the boxes into fourths,
each worth 25% of the sample, and visually
evaluated the % of the ingredients.
 Then we averaged each data set.
Cocoa Powder Vs. The Mix
Phenom Microscope
Box is a 312.5 micrometers squared
Cocoa is a fine powder that coats some of the ingredients of
the mix. It is a grainy-looking substance.
Sugar Crystals Vs. The Mix
Phenom Microscope
Box is a 300.0 micrometers squared
Unidentifiable
magnification
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3168/2604572
382_0611520835_m.jpg
Unidentifiable
magnification
http://images.dpchallenge.com/images_portf
olio/7000074999/71121/800/Copyrighted_Image_Reus
e_Prohibited_653226.jpg
Milk Vs. The Mix
Phenom Microscope
http://www.nestle.com/NR/rdonlyres/5629B5D53A3B-4523-8A228FCE0AFED400/0/microscope_milk.jpg
Unidentifiable
magnifications
Milk
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.magma.ca/~
pavel/science/bu-mi10.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.magma.ca/~pavel/science/Milk.htm
&usg=__xBqptmRQlzeIWpYVDru5XxD0z9A=&h=133&w=200&s
z=15&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=rUJ1CkFmhwMfLM:&tbnh=69
&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmilk%2Bunder%2Bmicrosc
ope%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IESearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7TSNA%26um%3D1
Box is a 200.0 micrometers squared
The Data (1/2)
Sugar- 50%
Milk- 25%
Cocoa- 13%
?- 12%
The Data (2/2)
2
Phenom Microscope
1) Box is a 300.0 micrometers squared
2) Box is a 312.5 micrometers squared
3) Box is a 200.0 micrometers squared
1)
Sugar- 60%
Milk- 25%
Cocoa- 15%
?- 10%
2)
Sugar50%
Milk- 25%
Cocoa6%
?- 19%
1
3)
Sugar60%
Milk- 23%
Cocoa13%
?- 14%
3
Data Comparison With Our Hypothesis
Sample Pic
1
2
3
Average
Sugar
50%
60%
50%
60%
55%
Milk
25%
25%
25%
23%
25%
Cocoa
13%
10%
6%
13%
11%
?
12%
5%
19%
4%
10%
Percentages in average column add up to 101% because of sig figs
Hypothesis
Sugar
57%
Milk
11%
Cocoa
5%
?
27%
Various Other Components
 Some of the larger proportion ingredients were
unidentifiable because we could not find comparison
images to set by the side of our found images. We,
therefore, can not assume that certain common items in
the mix are any of the ingredients we have not identified.
 We can assume that the items we could not identify in the
hot chocolate mix are any of these things which together
compose about 2% of the total mixture: salt, dipotassium
phosphate, mono- and diglycerides, artificial flavors
[chocolate?], and carrageenan.
Conclusion
 Our data of the percent composition of Swiss
Miss hot chocolate mix mostly disproves our
hypothesis.
 Although our estimate of 57% of the mixture
being sugar, our data showed 55%, which is
very close.
 However, our other estimates were not quite as
close: 11% milk to the actual 25%, 5% cocoa
versus the 11% in the mix, and 27% of
undiscoverable ingredients to the 10%.
Errors
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It was difficult to find a comparison picture to all of the ingredients in
Swiss Miss so we were unable to identify exact composition percentages
and all ingredients.
Although we found some pictures of certain ingredients that were
magnified online, they did not say the level of magnification. This
makes any comparison to verify an object difficult.
Also, because SEMs are a relatively new technology, it is hard to find
images online. In a few years (maybe as little as one), there should be
many more pictures that can be used as resources.
Our “random” samples were not exactly random. Though our pictures
were taken semi-randomly (at points where we touched the screen and
the Phenom would allow us to capture clear images or the manual
microscope showed a decent image) finding the percent composition in
each was in a chosen “representative” position by us.
Estimating the percent composition by grid/visual assessment is not
accurate and is completely arbitrary and a 2-D image does not allow us
to see what is under any particle found in the mix.
Other Comments
 What amazed us is that you can easily
sea the Sugar, Milk and Cocoa at a slight
microscopic level. Also, once you know
what you’re looking for, you can see it
with the naked eye.
 We’re curious where the flavor mostly
comes from and how much of the
product is manufactured and how that
could affect the texture of the mix when
dissolved and dry.
Next Time…
 We know that it would be ideal to have images of each
ingredient of Swiss Miss and other components we may
find in the mixture.
 It would be ideal to understand the reactions of the
different ingredients together for a better understanding
of what certain objects on an image plate may represent.
 More trials and data would aid in the accuracy of percent
composition of Swiss Miss.
 More quality images would be helpful in collecting data.
 Having more experiences on both microscopes would
have aided in having the most precise data.