The National Student Research Center
E-Journal of Student Research: Science
Volume 8, Number 3, January, 2000
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.
For more information contact:
- John I. Swang, Ph.D.
- Founder/Director
- National Student Research Center
- 2024 Livingston Street
- Mandeville, Louisiana 70448
- U.S.A.
- E-Mail: nsrcmms@communique.net
- http://youth.net/nsrc/nsrc.html
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Wheat or White - Which Bread Molds
Quicker?
- At What Temperature Will Yeast Work
Best?
- Will Different Densities Effect the
Speed of a Clay Ball Falling In Liquid?
- Testing Gravity's Effect on Falling
Objects
- Effects of Cold on Worms
- Which Material Is More Flame Resistant?
- Troy's House of Flowers
TITLE: Wheat or White - Which Bread Molds Quicker?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Matthew Meyer
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, MED.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I want to do a scientific research project to see if Bunny Bread
molds faster than wheat bread if placed in a Ziploc bag. I
think that the wheat bread will mold the fastest in a Ziploc
bag.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I wrote my statement of purpose and hypothesis on bread
and mold. Then I did my review of the literature on molds,
breads, and fungi. Next, I wrote my methodology. The materials
I used were a pencil, paper, three pieces of white bread, three
pieces of wheat bread, and six Ziploc bags. After gathering the
materials, I then placed the three pieces of white bread and the
three pieces of wheat bread each in six separate Ziploc bags.
Next, I closed the Ziploc bags and placed them on the counter in
the kitchen. I then observed the bread daily and noted changes.
After the experiment was completed, I then wrote my analysis of
data, summary and conclusion, and application.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
Neither the white bread or the wheat bread molded after twenty
days. Both types of bread got hard around the edges, but stayed
soft in the middle. Both types of bread were cracking and
crumbling in some areas.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
I found out that the white and wheat bread did not mold after
twenty days. Therefore, I reject my hypothesis which stated
that the wheat bread will mold the fastest in a Ziploc bag.
V. APPLICATION:
I can apply my findings to the real world by telling my family,
friends, and relatives that wheat and white bread will not mold
in a Ziploc bag for at least twenty days. I will advise them to
use Ziploc bags when making sandwiches for lunches or picnics.
This will help prevent molding for at least twenty days.
TITLE: At What Temperature Will Yeast Work Best?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Laura Williams
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, M.Ed.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I want to find out at what temperature yeast will dissolve and
make foam. I think it will dissolve and foam at 108 F.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I chose my topic. Next, I wrote my statement of purpose
and hypothesis. Then I researched yeast for the review of
literature. I decided how I would test the yeast. I gathered
the materials that I would need. The materials were: three
glasses, water, dry yeast, sugar, measuring spoons, measuring
cup, a timer, two thermometers a spoon, and a ruler.
To perform the experiment, I placed one cup of water that
measured 78 F in each of the three glasses. I added one
tablespoonful of sugar and 1/2 of a teaspoonful of yeast to each
glass. Then I stirred the contents of each glass with the spoon
to help the yeast and sugar dissolve. I set the timer for 40
minutes and checked the yeast mixture every five minutes to see
if foam appeared. I measured the height of the foam with the
ruler. I recorded my results. I also let the yeast mixture stand
longer than 40 minutes to see if the foam was still growing. I
repeated the procedure above two more times with water at
temperatures of 110 F and 130 F (three trials at each
temperature). I recorded the results.
Ill. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
The first set of glasses contained water at 78 F. The second set
contained water at 110 F. The third set of glasses contained
water at 130 F I averaged the height of the foam in each glass
at that temperature every five minutes for 40 minutes. After 40
minutes, the foam began to collapse.
Average Height (In Inches) of Foam
(3 trials at each temperature)
5min. lOmin l5min 20min 25min 30min 35min 40min
78 F No No No No No No No No
110F No 1/8 3/16 1/4 1/4 3/8 5/8 11/16
130F No No 1/8 3/16 3/16 3/8 3/8 3/8
The cold water ( 78 F) did not allow the yeast to dissolve
completely and did not make foam. The warm water (110 F) allowed
the yeast to dissolve and made the highest height of foam at
about 40 minutes. The hot water (130 F) allowed the yeast to
dissolve and made foam. The foam was not as high as the warm
water.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
I found that yeast activates at about 110 F and works the best
at a warm temperature. I accept my hypothesis that yeast would
work the best at 108 F.
V. APPLICATION:
This information could be used for baking bread, wine making,
beer making, cancer research, making ethanol for fuel,
decomposing waste, and cleaning oil spills.
TITLE: Will Different Densities Effect the Speed of a Clay Ball
Falling In Liquid?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Alex Dessens
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, MED.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I want to know if the density of a liquid effects the speed at
which a clay ball will fall in liquid. My hypothesis states that
the density of a liquid will effect the speed a clay ball falls.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I gathered the materials. Second, I poured 30 ounces of
corn syrup, 30 ounces of vegetable oil, and 30 ounces of water
in measuring cups the same size. Then, I dropped three clay
balls of the same circumference and weight in the three liquids.
I timed the clay balls falling, using a stopwatch from when the
clay ball hit the liquid to when it hit the bottom of the
container. I repeated this procedure three times. Then I
recorded the data.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
Results of the trials were as follows:
Water:
Trial 1 = 47 hundredths of a second
Trial 2 = 47 hundredths of a second
Trial 3 = 50 hundredths of a second
Vegetable Oil:
Trial 1 = 62 hundredths of a second
Trial 2 = 59 hundredths of a second
Trial 3 = 66 hundredths of a second
Corn Syrup:
Trial 1 = 19.40 seconds
Trial 2 = 20.00 seconds
Trial 3 = 19.10 seconds
The average speed of the clay ball in water was .48 seconds. The
average speed of the ball in vegetable oil was .6233 seconds,
and the average speed in corn syrup was 19.50 seconds.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
I found out that the denser the liquid, the slower the ball
falls. I therefore accept my hypothesis which states that the
density of a liquid will effect the speed at which the clay ball
falls.
V. APPLICATION
I now know that the denser the liquid, the slower something
falls in it. If you are at a dunking booth and you get to pick
the liquid you want to dunk someone in, pick a less dense
liquid, because if you don't, they might not get their hair wet.
TITLE: Testing Gravity's Effect on Falling Objects
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Jill Honeycutt
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, MED.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I want to know if objects of different weights and sizes fall to
the ground at the same rate due to the force of gravity. I will
be measuring the time it takes for various objects to fall to
the ground from a defined height. My hypothesis states that all
objects will fall to the ground at the same rate of speed due to
the earth's gravitational force.
II. METHODOLOGY
First, I wrote my statement of purpose and hypothesis. Next, I
gathered my materials, searching for common objects with
different shapes, sizes, and weights. Materials I plan to use
are a penny, a shoe, a pencil, a book, a paper clip, and a
tennis ball. Next, I'm going to drop two objects at the same
time, one light and one heavy, from my balcony, which is 15 feet
from the ground. I will record the rate of the fall using a
stopwatch for each. I will repeat this experiment 3 times,
record my data, and apply findings.
OBJECT TEST #1 TEST #2 TEST #3
(average) (seconds) (seconds) (seconds)
SHOE 1.00 1.07 1.04
(1.04)
PENCIL 1.00 1.04 1.05
(1.03)
BOOK 1.05 1.04 1.07
(1.05)
PENNY 1.06 1.04 1.04
(1.05)
TENNIS BALL 1.03 1.05 1.01
(1.03)
PAPER CLIP 1.05 1.06 1.06
(1.06)
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
My first observation was made dropping a heavy object (shoe) and
a light object (pencil) at the same time from a height of 15 ft.
from the ground. Both objects appeared to hit the ground at the
same time. I repeated this with the book and the penny and the
ball and the paper clip. All objects appeared to hit the ground
at the same time. To see if this observation was correct, I
dropped each object three separate times from 15 ft. and
recorded the time necessary to reach the ground using a
stopwatch. The average times for each object were as follows:
shoe = 1.04 seconds, pencil = 1.03 seconds, book = 1.05 seconds,
penny = 1.05 seconds, tennis ball = 1.03 seconds, and paper clip
= 1.06 seconds. The attached chart shows the times of each
object and their average time.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In my experiment, I found that all objects regardless of size or
weight fell to the ground at the same rate. The average times
for each object were only slightly different with a range of
1.03 seconds to 1.06 seconds. This difference of .03 seconds
could be explained by error by the observer timing each object.
I accept my original hypothesis that all objects fall to the
ground at the same rate due to the earth's gravity.
V. APPLICATION
This information can be useful in predicting the rate of any
falling object. More importantly this information is useful to
scientists who are constantly trying to defy the laws of gravity
on earth.
TITLE: Effects of Cold on Worms
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Kelsey Larsen
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, MED.
I. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND HYPOTHESIS:
I would like to know if cold temperatures on a worm would effect
the condition of the behavior and/or body of the worm. I think
the cold will have an effect on the behavior and/or appearance
of a worm.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I studied the behavior and appearance of my worms. Then
I took two worms. I put them in a cylinder container (about 5
1/2" from top to bottom and 13 1/2" around) and filled the
container half full with soil from my backyard. I put the
container in my refrigerator and left it there for eight hours
at 34 Fahrenheit. After those hours, I took the container out
and waited for a half an hour because all worms are
'hibernating' in cold temperatures. I then recorded data on the
worms (different color, strange behavior, etc.). I did this
twice more. Then I did exactly the same procedure with only a
change from the top of the refrigerator to the bottom (40 F). I
did this three times, recording the data each time. Materials
used: twelve worms, three (3) cylinder containers, a
refrigerator, soil, and something to record data on.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
34 F. top shelf of refrigerator
Test one
Worm one - quite slow movement, translucent
Worm two - moved slowly when touched, same coloring, blister
Test two
Worm one - appeared dead, no movement, lighter
Worm two - stretched out, moved same as before, blister
Test three
Worm one - moved slowly, translucent, pale green blister
Worm two - same movement, darker than before
40 F. bottom crisper drawer
Test one
Worm one - same behavior as before refrigerated, more
translucent, lost some color
Worm two - moved same as before refrigerated, appearance
same
Test two
Worm one - went to the top of the container, blister on
muscle in middle of body
Worm two - stayed in same place, color a little darker
Test three
Worm one - moved faster than before refrigerated, went to
bottom of container, same coloring
Worm two - somewhat sluggish, same color
Most of the worms in the 34 degree temperature were slower and
moved in a sluggish manner. The worms in the 40 degree
temperature were mostly the same as before. Some worms had a
blister on them after the experiment and I don't know if that is
a plain symbol of coldness on a worm's body or if the worms were
sick.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
I found that worms are affected by cold in behavior and body a
small bit. According to my research, colder temperatures affect
the worms more unless they were raised in cold temperatures.
Therefore, I accept my hypothesis.
V. APPLICATION:
This information could be useful in fertilizing soil. It may be
too cold for worms to live in (or strange blisters might affect
worms) so it would be nice to know how much coldness affects a
worm.
NOTE: All worms were released to habitat (backyard) after the
experiment. None were seriously harmed.
TITLE: Which Material Is More Flame Resistant?
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Roger DeSanti
SCHOOL ADDRESS: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, Louisiana 70448
GRADE: 5
TEACHERS: Cherie Erkel, M.Ed.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I would like to do a scientific research project on which
material (silk, cotton, wool, or flannel) is more flame
resistant. Once I find the results, I will know which material
will be best to use for bed spreads and sheets so if there is a
fire at night, people will have better protection against the
flames. My hypothesis states that silk will be more flame
resistant than wool, cotton, or flannel because it has a tighter
weave so less air will fuel the flame. Wool, cotton, and
flannel all have a nap that I believe helps to catch the flame,
but silk is smooth and the flame should pass over it more
easily.
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
I am testing four types of material (cotton, flannel, silk, and
wool) to find out which one is more flame resistant. Cotton is
a very important fiber used for making clothes. It is very
comfortable to wear because it keeps you cool. Flannel is made
from wool, cotton, synthetic fibers or a blend of these. It
keeps you warm and is soft. Silk is a material made from the
threads of a silkworm spinning a cocoon. It is the strongest
natural fabric. It keeps you cooler and drier than most other
materials in the summer. In the winter silk keeps you warm
because it is woven tighter. Wool is the hair that grows on
sheep. It is cut off and made into thread that is woven into
fabric. There are a lot of different kinds of wool. It is a
very warm, absorbent fabric that lasts for a long time. Most
wool is heavy and feels rough.
The American Burn Association has listed some facts about flame
resistant and non flame resistant materials. Flame resistant
materials, like polyester, do not catch fire with small flames
like a match. It will shrivel away from the flame. When they
do catch fire, flame resistant materials will burn slowly and
will stop burning all by themselves when the flame is taken
away. Non flammable resistant material, like cotton and cotton
blends, will ignite with a small flame. The flames will spread
rapidly. This material continues to burn even when the flame is
taken away.
These four materials will be tested with a blowtorch. The heat
level of a blowtorch is about the same as the flames of a bigger
fire. A fire needs three things: oxygen (natural air), heat (a
match to light the blowtorch), and fuel (the material I have
chosen).
III. METHODOLOGY
First, I gathered all my materials:
3 pieces of silk (9 cm. by 9 cm.)
3 pieces of flannel (9 cm. by 9 cm.)
3 pieces of wool (9 cm. by 9 cm.)
matches
blow torch
metal tongs
2 stop watches
pencil
data collection form
fire pit or fire place
Next, I got a parent and went to the fire pit. I held a piece
of silk between the tongs over the fire pit. I lit the
blowtorch and put the flame on medium (about a two-inch flame).
I touched the flame to the material at one corner. I left the
flame on the material until it caught on fire. I timed how long
it took to catch on fire. Then I pulled the blowtorch away from
the silk and timed how long the silk continued to burn. I
recorded all the data on my data collection form. I repeated
this process two more times using a piece of cotton and then
flannel. I then repeated the whole experiment using all three
materials two more times for a total of three tests. I averaged
the ignition and burn times for each of the three materials.
IV. ANALYSIS OF DATA
Flannel ignited in an average of 1.54 seconds and burned
completely in an average of 32.08 seconds. Flannel was easy to
flame and burned steadily without any other heat source. Silk
ignited the fastest with an average ignition time of .95
seconds. But the silk did not burn. It melted as long as the
blowtorch (or heat source) was on it. As soon as the blowtorch
was removed the flame went out and the material quickly stopped
melting in an average of about 2.15 seconds. Wool took the
longest to ignite with an average of .65 seconds. It burned for
an average of 3.49 seconds, burning very little of the wool, but
more of the cotton stitching along the edge.
V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In all, wool performed the best with a slow ignition time and
not much damage to the sample during the burning time. Silk did
not flame, but it did melt which can cause a lot of damage to
your skin. The flannel had the worst performance, igniting
easily and burning until the whole sample was gone. I therefore
reject my hypothesis which stated that silk will be more flame
resistant than wool or flannel.
VI. APPLICATION
To connect this to the real world, you could use wool blankets
on your bed for protection in case of a house fire. Even if you
don't like to sleep with wool blankets, you should keep some in
the closets to use as protection if you ever need to escape a
house fire. People who sit around a campfire or in front of a
fireplace will be better protected from sparks if they are
wearing wool clothing. A wool mat in front of fireplaces will
help protect the floor from igniting with sparks that fly from
the fire.
TITLE: Troy's House of Flowers
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Troy Huguet
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, LA 70448
GRADE: 5th
TEACHER: Cherie Erkel, MED.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I wanted to find out what type of water would make a marshmallow
plant bloom best. I will be testing the plant with fresh water,
salt water, and sugar water. My hypothesis states that I feel
the marshmallow plant will bloom the most when watered with
fresh water.
II. METHODOLOGY
First, I wrote my statement of purpose and hypothesis. I
gathered information on plants and their growth. I wrote my
review of literature. Next, I gathered the materials necessary
for my experiment. I bought nine marshmallow plants in
identical containers. I recorded the height and condition of
each plant. I made salt water and sugar water by boiling water
and adding each substance to the boiling water. I cooled the
sugar water and salt water and placed them in separate clean
containers. I watered three of the plants with 1/3 cup of sugar
water two times per week. I watered three of the plants with
1/3 cup of salt water two times per week. I watered three of
the plants with 1/3 cup of fresh water two times per week.
After each watering, I recorded the height and condition of each
plant.
The materials used for this experiment were: nine marshmallow
plants, nine plastic containers, a 1/3 measuring cup, salt
water, sugar water, fresh water, pencil, paper, and a measuring
tape.
III. DATA ANALYSIS
The plants watered with salt water drooped during the first
week. During the second week, the salt water plants died.
Sugar water killed one of the plants during the second week and
one during the third week. The last sugar water plant died
during the sixth week. The fresh water plants kept growing and
stayed healthy.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
I found out that fresh water is the best water to use for plants
to grow and bloom. I accept my hypothesis because the fresh
water plants bloomed the most.
V. APPLICATION
Others could use this information to grow a healthy floral
garden.