The National Student Research Center is dedicated to promoting
student research and the use of the scientific method in all subject
areas across the curriculum, especially science and math.
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TITLE: Long Lasting Flavored Gum STUDENT RESEARCHER(S): Mr. Carbone's Math Class SCHOOL: North Stratfield Holden, Massachusetts GRADE: 4 TEACHER: Mr. V. Carbone M. Ed.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
We want to find out which flavor of gum lasts the longest. We
think the gum flavor of Big Red will last the longest.
II. METHODOLOGY:
We tested three types of gum: Big Red, Juicy Fruit and Fruit Stripe.
We are going to chew the gum and keep time on a stop watch to
see how long the flavor lasts. We will then calculate mean time,
median time, and mode time for all the gums.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
| Gum | Mean Average | Median Average | Mode Average |
| Big Red | 3 min. 27 sec. | 2 min. 49 sec. | 1 min. 50 sec. |
| Juicy Fruit | 2 min | 1 min. 34 sec. | 1 min. 23 sec. |
| Fruit Stripe | 2 min. 22 sec. | 1 min. 41 sec. | 1 min. 4 sec. |
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
Big Red's flavor lasted the longest at 3 minutes and 27 seconds-
mean average. Big Red's median and mode average was also longer
than the two others. This agrees with our hypothesis that Big
Red's flavor lasts the longest.
V. APPLICATION TO LIFE:
1. Gum companies would want to know this information so they could
try to get their gum flavors to last longer.
2. People who buy gum would want to know this information, so
they can purchase the longest lasting flavored gum.
3. Store owners would want on stock up on the best gum.
TITLE: Color Frequency of M & M'S
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Eric Tidman
SCHOOL: Mayo Elementary School
Holden, Massachusetts
GRADE: 5
TEACHER: Wayne Boisselle
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I wanted to find out the color frequency of plain M&M's in 10 (47.9 g) packages. My hypothesis stated that brown would show up the most in 10 (47.9 g) plain M&M's packages.
II. METHODOLOGY
First, I wrote a statement of purpose, a literature review, and developed an hypothesis. Secondly, I bought ten bags of plain M&M's. Then I opened the bags one at a time and separated the colors into groups. Next, I put the number of each color into a chart and then made my graph. Then I conducted my analysis of data and wrote my summary and conclusion. I then accepted or rejected my hypothesis and applied my findings to the real world. The materials I used were M&M's, sorting cups, and a pencil and paper to keep track of the amounts of M&M's.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
When I finished counting all 10 bags of M&M's, the results were: 44 blues, 70 greens, 91 oranges, 92 reds, 127 yellows, and 136 browns.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
My data indicated that brown shows up the most in 10 bags of plain M&M's. Therefore, I accept my hypothesis which stated that brown would show up the most in 10 (47.9 g) bags of Plain M&M's.
VI. APPLICATION
My information could help other people if a teacher was going to have their kindergarten class count M&M's. The teacher would know about how many colors there should be in every 10 bags of (47.9 g) M&M's.
TITLE: Cheese
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Matthew
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, California
GRADE: Seventh Grade
TEACHER: Mrs. R. Pearce
I. PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I was interested in learning about cheese because I like eating
it and wanted to learn how to make it. My hypothesis was that
mozzarella would stretch the farthest. I already new that mozzarella
is used on pizza.
II. METHODOLOGY
I tested my hypothesis by heating different cheeses for different
times. The materials I used were a knife, Cheddar cheese, American
cheese, Mozzarella cheese, a microwave, and a ruler. The control
variable was the time in the microwave. I tested my idea by making
sure each piece of cheese was the same size.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
I found out that Mozzarella cheese can stretch twice the length
of Cheddar and American.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
I accept my hypothesis because I guessed that Mozzarella would
stretch the farthest and it did. I think I could improve my experiment
by seeing if width or weight makes a difference in the experiment.
V. APPLICATION
This experiment can relate to real life because we all eat cheese.
In fact, people all over the world eat cheese. This experiment
is important because cheese is one of those things you need to
eat to live.
TITLE: Satisfying K-9 Hunger Pangs
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Jason
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, CA
GRADE: Seventh
TEACHER: Ms. R. Pearce
I. PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I was interested in figuring out which dog food my dog enjoyed eating the most. My hypothesis stated that my dog would like the Pedigree dog food the best.
II. METHODOLOGY
I tested my hypothesis by opening five cans of dog food and placing each kind into their own separate bowls. I set them down at least one foot apart and let my dog free to pick his favorite food. The materials I used were five cans of dog food, a can opener, five dog bowls, a pen to record the data, and my dog.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
After all the trials and hard work, I found out that my dog enjoyed the Pedigree the best. He thought the Skippy Premium was pretty good and the rest were okay.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In conclusion, I accept my hypothesis. I accepted my hypothesis because my dog liked the Pedigree over the rest. I think I could improve this experiment by conducting more trials. I also should have went deeper into my research. The one thing I think I did wrong was not doing as many trials as I should've.
V. APPLICATION
This experiment can apply to real life because it has to do with animals and what they enjoy eating. If I could do more research on this project, I would like to figure out what do dogs like about dog food and why they like it.
TITLE: Miracle or Not
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Ashley
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, California
GRADE: 7
TEACHER: Ms. R. Pearce
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I was interested in plant growth and Miracle Grow. My hypothesis was that the plants with the Miracle Grow would grow faster than the ones with the vitamins. I already knew a lot of things about plants, sunlight, and how plants grow, but I wanted to learn more about those things.
II. METHODOLOGY:
I tested my hypothesis by putting two different types of plants in the Miracle Grow cups and two different types of plants in the vitamin cups. The materials I used were plastic cups, dirt (soil), water, seeds, sunlight, Miracle Grow, and human vitamins. My manipulated variables were that I used two different types of plants instead of one and grew plants with Miracle Grow and without Miracle Grow.
This is how I tested my idea:
I. Get all the materials needed.
2. Put the same amount of soil in each plastic cup.
3. Put two seeds into the soil in each cup.
4. Take one crushed human vitamin and put it in one cup.
5. Then put the same amount of Miracle Grow in the other cup.
6. Label each cup (one with Miracle Grow and the other one with
vitamin).
7. Put the same amount of water in each cup.
8. Put both cups in a lighted area by a window sill.
9. Record and check daily.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
I found out that the human vitamins helped the plants grow better than the ones with Miracle Grow. The Miracle Grow didn't help the plant grow at all. My data show that my hypothesis was incorrect because I thought the plants with the Miracle Grow would grow faster.
The plants in the human vitamin cups grew faster and they are still growing. The Miracle Grow plants have not yet grown at all.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
I rejected my hypothesis because the Miracle Grow plants didn't grow faster than the plants with the human vitamins. In fact, the Miracle Grow plants didn't grow at all. The vitamin plants grew fast. I think I could improve this experiment by having more plants to conduct this experiment on. I can also improve this research by putting in flowers or grass instead of vegetables.
V. APPLICATION:
This experiment can apply to real life because this can help make plants healthier and grow faster. This can also help farmers to produce their crops faster so they can harvest sooner. If I could do more research, I would want to find out if maybe certain plants react differently to Miracle Grow. This would be important because perhaps certain plants grow faster with Miracle Grow.
TITLE: Which Brands Of Dog Food Do Dogs Like Best?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Daniel
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, CA
GRADE: 7
TEACHER: Mrs. Pearce
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I was interested in which brand of dog food dogs like best so that I would know what to buy. I hypothesized that my dogs would like Pedigree since it was more popular. I already knew that my dogs ate all of one serving, so I gave them a can each.
II. METHODOLOGY:
To test my hypothesis, I fed my dogs each night and measured the leftovers. I used cans of dog food, bowls, a spoon, a measuring cup, bags of dog food, and a can opener to conduct my experiment. The only manipulated variable was the brand of dog food. All other variables were controlled. In order to conduct my experiment, I first poured a can of dog food into a bowl. I did this for each dog. Next, for each bowl, I poured a cup of dog food into the bowl. I repeated this the next night. Then I repeated this procedure three times using different brands of dog food each time.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
I learned that the dogs liked Alpo better than they liked Purina or Pedigree. The total Alpo leftovers were 195 ml. The total Pedigree leftovers were 315 ml. The total Purina leftovers were 410 ml. My hypothesis was incorrect. The dogs liked Alpo better than Pedigree. Alpo had 120 ml leftovers less than Pedigree.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
I was wrong because the dogs liked Alpo a lot better. In conclusion, I was incorrect. My hypothesis was that my dogs would like Pedigree best. They liked Alpo best. I think my experiment would have been a lot better if I had fed my dogs differently (Purina, Pedigree, Alpo, Purina, Pedigree, Alpo). Not in the order that I did it (Purina, Purina, Pedigree, Pedigree, Alpo, Alpo). This would give more accurate results.
V. APPLICATION:
This experiment applies to real life because we know that we get our money's worth buying Alpo. If I could do more research, I would find out what brand of dog food is healthier for dogs. This would be important if you have a hunting or racing dog because you would want it to be healthy.
TITLE: Gum's Flavor
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Christopher
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, CA 92376
GRADE: 7
TEACHER: Mrs. Pearce
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I was interested in gum because I like to chew it. My hypothesis was that the Winter Fresh would last the longest. I already knew that there were many types of gums and flavors, but I decided to pick these types of gums.
II. Methodology:
I tested my hypothesis by chewing the gum and timing it. The things
I used were the gum, a watch, and people to help me test chewing
the gum.
This is how I tested my Idea:
1) First, I got the people I wanted to help me test.
2) Then I bought the gum at the grocery store.
3) Then I had each person test a certain gum.
4) Then I wrote down all the data and results.
III. Analysis of Data:
I found out that the Winter Fresh lasts longer than Juicy Fruit
and Big Red. My data show that my hypothesis was right. The Winter
Fresh lasts the longest.
IV. Summary/Conclusion
The reason I was right is because the flavor in the Winter Fresh
is mint and it stays in your mouth for a long time. I think I
could improve this experiment by trying out some of the other
different types of gum and experimenting with them also.
V. Application
This experiment can apply to real life because manufactures could
make juicy fruit and Big Red last longer. If I could do more research,
I would want to find out how gum is made and were they get it
from. This is important because manufactures could improve the
gum and make it last longer.
TITLE: The Dog Food My Shar-Pei Likes Best STUDENT RESEARCHER: Don SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School 2140 Buena Vista Dr. Rialto, CA, 92377 GRADE: Seventh TEACHER: Ms. R. Pearce
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I was interested in what type of dog food my dog likes best, so I decided to do my science project on that topic. My question was "What type of dog food does my dog like best?" My hypothesis was that she would like the puppy food best. I already knew the puppy food was sweeter than the adult food from past experiments, but I didn't know what would happen when I added the canned food into the experiment.
II. Methodology:
I tested my hypothesis by feeding puppy food, adult food, and canned food to my Shar-Pei. My materials were one Shar-Pei, puppy food, adult dog food, and canned dog food, and three dog dishes with two bowls in each. The control variable in my science project was the order I put the food in, trying to see if that would make a difference. I did the project by feeding one type of dog food to my Shar-Pei every hour, then recording my results.
III. Analysis of Data:
I found out that my Shar-Pei liked the caned food better than the puppy and adult food. My data showed my hypothesis to be incorrect. I sort of knew the outcome of my experiment in the beginning, when my dog would just eat the canned food.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
I was wrong. The reason I was wrong was because my dog ate much more of the canned food than the puppy and adult food. I think I can improve this experiment by using more types of food. I was limited to what dog food I could use because the dog food I had was all my parents could buy. As far as I know, I don't believe I did anything wrong.
V. Application:
I don't think this experiment can apply to real life. If I could do more research, I would like to find out what dog food is healthiest for my Shar-Pei. This would be important information for people who breed show dogs.
TITLE: Can A Person Hear The Difference Between A CD And A Cassette?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Veronica
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Kucera Middle School
Rialto, CA.
GRADE: 7th
TEACHER: Ms. R. Pearce
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I was interested in whether a CD or a cassette was clearer to listen to. My hypothesis was that a person could hear the difference between a CD and cassette. I wanted to do this project because I wanted to know which would be better listening. I also wanted to spread my knowledge to other people as well. I already knew that a CD was newly invented and therefore might have a better sound. I also knew that compact disks contain a digital or numerical record of sound waves. The sound waves in a CD are more digitally enhanced than those of a cassette.
II. Methodology:
I tested my hypothesis by having different people first listen to a CD then a cassette. The materials I used were a CD/cassette player, a Kid Frost CD, a David Hasselhoff cassette, and people. This is how I tested my idea, I had someone sit in a room and I would play one minute of the Kid Frost CD and one minute of the David Hasselhoff cassette. After I was finished with both the CD and cassette, I asked if the person could identify which one was the CD and which was the cassette. When they answered me, I recorded my data.
III. Analysis of Data:
This is the information that I have found out through my experiment. A CD is much clearer than a cassette. Cassettes are slower and not as clear. People can clearly tell the difference between the two. My data show that my hypothesis was correct. My data show that 100% of the people I tested could hear the difference between a CD and a cassette, proving my hypothesis to be correct.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
My hypothesis was correct. I was correct because all of the experiments I completed proved that people could definitely hear a clear difference. I think I could definitely improve my experiment by testing a lot more people, keeping the music on for a longer period of time, and using different types of music to see if the type of music has any affect on the way that you hear it. What I did wrong was use a different CD then cassette. I used a Kid Frost CD and a David Hasselhoff cassette. I should have had the same singers just in case the type of music it was, affected my experiment.
V. Application:
This experiment can apply to real life because it will help people to listen to music clearer. I could share my information with other people and maybe, give them information on whether they should buy a CD or a cassette to listen to. If I could do more research, I would like to find out if the location of a person related to where the radio is affects the clarity of the music.