Title: Fermentation
Student Researcher: Sara Miran
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Ms. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I wanted to know more about fermentation. Fermentation is a chemical reaction that splits complex organic compounds into relatively simple substances. I wanted to know which common household food items, when mixed with yeast and water, would produce the most ethyl alcohol. My hypothesis stated that grapes and sugar would be the best two substances to ferment.
II. Methodology:
A. I started with 14 jars. I mixed one packet of yeast into three cups of warm tap water in each jar and stirred for one minute. I added two teaspoons of each of the following substances:
Control
Salt
Sugar
Vinegar
Raw grape pulp
Raw potato pulp
Raw apple pulp
B. Since the results of my first trial were not as successful as I had hoped, I repeated the experiment with a change in procedure. I again started with 14 glass jars, but used a revised procedure, which I developed after the first experiment failed to produce significant amounts of ethyl alcohol. I mixed one packet of yeast into three cups of warm tap water in each jar, and stirred for one minute. I added four tablespoons (as compared with two teaspoons of each in my first experiment) of each of the same substances that I used in my first experiment, as follows:
I then stirred the contents of each jar and covered each jar with a deflated balloon and a metal ring to keep the balloon in place.
I observed the expanding balloons and then I measured the amount of ethyl alcohol in each jar using a hydrometer over a period of four days.
III. Analysis of Data:
A. I tested each jar with a hydrometer 3 times, after one week,
two weeks and three weeks. All jars read zero at week one. At
week two, jar number 3 was at 2 and jar number 10 was at 1, while
all other jars were at zero. At week three, jar numbers 1, 8,
9 and 13 stayed at zero, jar numbers 2, 6, 7 and 14 measured less
than zero, jar numbers 3, 4, 5, 10 and 12 measured 1 (jar 3 having
gone down from 2 a week earlier), and jar number 11 had gone to
2.
Because of these not very encouraging results, I decided to repeat
the experiment using an increased amount of fermentation substances.
B. Within fifteen minutes, there was foam up to the top of
jar numbers 3, 5, 10 and 12. By 20 minutes, the gas pressure generated
in each of these jars was enough to push off the balloon and metal
ring holding down the balloon on the top of each jar. I also smelled
a bad odor from each jar.
By thirty minutes, jars 7 and 14 had significant foaming, and
had also pushed off their balloons and metal rings. At this point
I decided to relieve the gas pressure building up by punching
a small hole in the balloon covering the top of each jar.
I also noted that the grape pulp in jars 5 and 12 was floating
at the top of the jars. In my prior experiment the grape pulp
had stayed at the bottom of the jars. I tested the substances
four times with my hydrometer once a day for four consecutive
days. On day one, I tested jar numbers 1-7 and got 0, 0, 0, 0,
2, 2, and 2. On day one, my results for jar numbers 8-14 were
0, 0, 0, 0, 1, 2, and 1. On day two, I tested jars 1-7 and got
1, 0, 0, 0, 2, 3, and 3. On day two, my results for jar numbers
8-14 were 1, 0, 1, 0, 2, 2, and 3.
On day three, I tested jar numbers 1-7 and got 1, 0, 2, 0, 3, 4, and 3. On day three my results for jar numbers 8-14 were 1, 0, 2, 0, 3, 4, and 3. On day four, I tested jar numbers 1-7 and got 2, 0, 4, 0, 4, 5, and 4. On day four, my results for jar numbers 8-14 were 2, 0, 4, 0, 4, 5 and 4.
IV. Summary and Conclusion
Based on my second experiment, I have concluded that the fermented potato mash produced the highest amount of ethyl alcohol, closely followed by apple mash, grape mash and sugar water. Surprisingly, the control jars containing only yeast produced a measurable amount of ethyl alcohol. The salt solution and vinegar solution produced none. I was also surprised to see that it took longer to produce ethyl alcohol in the sugar water jars (2-3 days) as compared with the potato, grape and apple mash mixtures, which produced measurable amounts of ethyl alcohol in just one day.
My data show that my hypothesis was partially correct. I had thought that sugar water and grape mash would produce the most ethyl alcohol. My results show that while both did produce ethyl alcohol, grape mash and apple mash produced more ethyl alcohol than sugar water over a four-day period, while potato mash produced the most ethyl alcohol over this period.
V. Application
My experiment showed that ethyl alcohol can be produced by the
fermentation of common household food items, such as mashed apples,
grapes, potatoes, and sugar water. Ethyl alcohol can be used as
an environmentally friendly alternative or supplement to gasoline
and other petroleum based fuels. My experiment shows that it is
possible to produce ethyl alcohol from food items, which would
otherwise just end up as garbage. It should be possible to generate
ethyl alcohol from apple cores, potato peels, rotting and spoiled
food, which would otherwise be thrown away.
Title: The Effect of Video Game Playing on Color Stimulus Processing
Student Researcher: Jason Brodsky
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Maria Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis
I wished to know if playing video games could effect how well people are able to process color stimulus. Video games often involve staring at colorful displays for long periods of time, and usually require the whole attention of the user. It follows that if video games had any effect, it would be stronger and more noticeable than the effect of watching TV, or other activities that involve high color stimulus, as these activities are not interactive, and so do not require as much attention as video games.
I decided to test color stimulus processing with a simple test. The words "Red", "Green", "Blue", "Purple", "Black", and "Gray" were each typed 24 times. Then the font of four words of each type was changed to each color. The net result was that there were 144 words, each meaning a color, and printed in the same or different color ink. The words were then scrambled randomly.
My hypothesis was that the time it took people to read all the words would go up after playing a video game, whereas the time it took for people to recognize what color each word was printed in would go down after playing the game.
II. Methodology:
First, I told my idea for this experiment to several people,
who gave me some idea of what they thought would happen. Next,
I contacted an ophthalmologist who gave his opinion on the project.
I also looked at a few books to see if they would reveal anything
useful, though they did not. I was then able to formulate my hypothesis
based on my own knowledge and the ideas of others. I made four
tests with the procedure described in part I. This was necessary
because I was going to administer each type of test (words and
colors) twice and wanted to have a different pattern of words
for each so people would not remember the previous test and then
be able to do better because of that. While it is possible that
one test might be more or less difficult than the others, this
is unlikely, and the test were given in a random order, so that
if a trend was universal among all the test subjects, which test
given would be proven to not effect the results. Next, I randomly
selected six test subjects out of a pool consisting of children
in my grade, who I was both relatively familiar with and who were
known to be relatively cooperative and not likely to make things
difficult. Three boys and three girls were chosen, though one
of the boys was found to be slightly colorblind and so was replaced.
Each subject was invited to my house, where they took the word
test, in which they read all the words on a sheet, and the color
test, in which they identified the color of each word on the sheet.
Most people were given the color test first, and then the word
test, though two people were given the tests in the opposite order
to make sure that the order did not make a difference. After taking
the tests, the person played a Nintendo 64 game, Diddy Kong Racing,
for a half-hour. A sequence of four levels of the game known to
be particularly colorful was played as many times as necessary
to fill the half-hour. After the thirty minutes were up each subject
took the tests again, in the same order they had been given them.
There were also two control subjects, who were given the tests
a half-hour apart but did not play a video game.
For this project, the testing procedure, game procedure, and subject
procedure were controlled variables. The testing procedure included
the type of test, the makeup of the words on the tests, the randomness
of the order of those words, the way the test was timed and the
time separating the pre- and post-tests. The video game procedure
involved the game and levels played, as well as the time spent
playing, and the approximate distance from the screen. The subject
procedure included the process used to pick subjects randomly,
the chance of any particular subject becoming picked, and the
information each subject was given before the test, which was
limited to what the subjects need to know when deciding whether
they wished to participate. The manipulated variable was whether
or not a subject played the video game or not. The variable that
responded was the time on the tests. I created a chart and graph
of the results, and analyzed the data. Finally, I accepted or
rejected my hypothesis, summarized the data, and applied my findings
to real life.
III. Analysis of Data:
I timed how long it took for subjects to read and identify the colors of all the words on two separate tests before and after playing a video game. Six subjects participated in this. The average percent gain between the first and second scores for the color test was 11%, and the average percent loss between the first and second scores for the word test was 2%. For the control subjects, the average gain between the first and second scores for the color test was 18%, and the average loss for the word test was 10%. A t-test, a statistical formula that is used to see how certain we can be in saying that the difference is significant, showed that there is a 0.01 chance that the general population would do worse on the color test after playing video games, and that there is a greater than 0.1 chance that the general population would do worse on the word score after playing video games. Another t-test showed that there is a 0.91 chance that playing video games does not improve scores on the color test more than not playing does for the general population, and that there is a 0.86 chance that video games do not generally lower scores for the word test.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
While the times for the normal test subjects on the color test did get better after playing video games, the times also got better for the control subjects, suggesting that some testing effect is involved. This means that taking the test twice increases the scores, probably because the subjects understand the tests more and are used to taking them. Since the improvement of the normal test subjects was generally lower that that of the control subjects, it is possible that video game playing lowers scores, but is offset by the testing effect. The word scores are unusual, since they suggest a negative testing effect, which is highly unlikely for this kind of test. If there was a negative testing effect, it is possible that word scores are improved by video games, but are offset by the testing effect. My hypothesis is therefore completely incorrect, since it appears that there is almost no chance that video game playing improves color scores and worsens word scores, and just the opposite may be true.
V. Application
I, and many other people, greatly enjoy video and computer games, and so spend a great deal of time playing them. If doing so could cause us to have greater difficulty or ease in processing various types of stimuli immediately afterwards, it would be prudent for us to not play for a significant amount of time when we expect to do something that requires processing color or text quickly immediately afterward. If playing video games does no harm, or some good, it might be a good idea to save work that requires that kind of processing for after game playing, or at least not worry to much about the timing, assuming that game playing will leave enough time to do quality work. Many people also claim that Video game playing can cause people to become confused and absent-minded. Since there is no evidence that video games affect color stimulus processing, there appears to be no reason to change habits to reflect any effect of video games.
Title: What is Edgemont Putting into the Bronx River?
Student Researcher: Rebecca Fabbro
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, New York
Grade: 7
Teacher: Maria Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
This experiment was designed to test what pollutants were found in the Bronx River and to compare those to the pollutants found in the run-off behind my house. I wanted to see which of the pollutants in the Bronx River came from the Edgemont area, specifically from a stream of run-off that flows parallel to Edgemont Road in between the High School and the pond. I also thought this experiment would be a good follow up to a study done by Mrs. Russo's Science Research Group which tested the Bronx River chemically, physically, and biologically. For my purposes I conducted only chemical testing, and I only tested five indicators of pollution, which were pH, phosphates, nitrates, dissolved oxygen, and chloride.
My original hypothesis stated that the pollutants would be fairly similar in both the run-off and the river but that the levels of these pollutants would be higher in the river. In fact, I thought that the only test with more negative results in the run-off would be a lower dissolved oxygen level since the water only really moved after a rain. In addition, I thought that both would have high levels of nitrates and phosphates since those are good indicators of fertilizer run-off, which has proved to be a problem in the Bronx River before. Finally I assumed that the pollutants in the run-off and the river were probably mainly from fertilizer run-off or drainage from washing machines. I concluded these by previous testing on the river and the fact that I used to have a washing machine that emptied into the run-off and thought this might still be a problem.
II. Methodology:
I began by writing my statement of purpose and my hypothesis. I looked at the results from the Science Research Group, asked my parents, and used my previous knowledge of the watershed to support these. Next, I sampled water from two different sites, one on the Bronx River (Site 1 in Research Group) and one taken from the run-off in my backyard.
While taking these water samples, I observed the physical differences between the stream of run-off and the actual river. The water in the run-off was slower moving, shallower, and more turbid then the water in the Bronx River. It was also warmer which was quite obvious since smaller bodies of water warm up more quickly.
I preformed tests for Phosphates, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrates, and Chloride four times during the month of May on the dates of May 9, May 13, May 16, and May 21. I tried to do the tests under different circumstances, which were during a heat wave, after a heat wave, after a heavy rain, or during a cold front. To eliminate error I made sure that I controlled certain variables such as sampling technique, testing procedures, and the time of day. The only variable that I changed was taking samples from two different sites. Even though I did test four times I didn't do every test every time so the tests for chloride, and nitrates were only done twice while the test for phosphates was preformed 3 times and the tests for pH and dissolved oxygen were conducted 4 times each.
After I had collected all my data I made graphs and averaged out the numbers. I used these results to compare the data and to draw conclusions. From my findings I rejected parts of my hypothesis and accepted others. I then did final copies of the data charts and graphs, wrote up my summary and conclusion and applied my findings to the outside world.
III. Analysis of Data:
The average pH level of the Bronx River was 7.9; the average pH of the run-off was 7.6. This means that the pH level of the Bronx River is slightly more basic than the pH level in the run-off (the average pH level is 7).
The average phosphate level of the Bronx River was 7.7; the Phosphate level of the run-off was 5.6. This means that the run-off had a lesser level of phosphates. Phosphates are an indicator of fertilizer run-off and sewage.
The Dissolved Oxygen level was 7.7 on average in the Bronx
River in comparison to the to average of 6.7 for the run-off.
This means that the dissolved oxygen was low in both but was lower
in the run-off. When dissolved oxygen levels are too low they
can cause aquatic life to die.
The average nitrates level was 4.4 in the Bronx River while it
was 6.6 in the run-off. That means that the nitrates levels were
higher in the run-off. Nitrates at high levels are an indicator
of fertilizer.
In the Bronx River and the run-off the average chlorides level was 150, so both probably have the same amount of road run-off. Chlorides are usually found in rivers and streams because of run-off carrying salt from the roads in winter.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
Several conclusions may be drawn from my results. First, I would
like to accept most of my hypothesis. The pollutants in both were
fairly the same, the river did have a higher level of phosphates,
and the run-of did have a lower dissolved oxygen level. The higher
phosphate levels do show evidence of fertilizer run-off.
However my hypothesis was proven wrong in two ways. Neither the
Bronx River nor its run-off had high levels of nitrates and the
nitrate level was higher in the run-off than it was in the Bronx
River.
Over all my results were pretty much expected and they mirrored
the results found by the Science Research Group. My data could
use more replication to confirm its accuracy. If the experiment
was further improved other sites of Bronx River run-off could
be tested, such as the run-off that flows from the High School.
V. Application
These data only prove a much larger point- if we keep polluting
our water sources we will have large problems in the future. As
the population grows and construction increases, more habitats,
especially vital ones like the wetlands, are being destroyed.
Cleaner water is a first step to improving the environment. Simple
steps can be taken here in Edgemont to reduce water pollution.
People can refrain from using excessive fertilizer, they can decrease
road salt use and they can get their pipes checked often.
Hopefully this experiment can be improved upon and perhaps continued.
Science Research Group will be testing the Bronx River and I think
that it would be interesting to note if the condition of the river
changes over the years.
This experiment should make you think, as it has made me think,
about how to protect our watershed for ourselves and for generations
to come.
Title: The Effects of Different Environments on the Iwan Apple Blossom Orchid
Student Researcher: Sam Leeds
School Address: Edgemont High School
Scarsdale, New York 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Ms. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose/Hypothesis:
I wanted to know more about an environment's effect on a growing
orchid. An environment is a synonym for habitat. A habitat is
a place where flora and fauna live and thrive. I wanted to know
what habitat an orchid would thrive best in. My hypothesis stated
that orchids in a rain forest environment would thrive better
than those in the dessert, swamp, and control environments.
II. Methodology:
First, I wrote my statement of purpose. Then I read my books about
growing orchids and which ones were the best choices for house
plants. I then went to the "Orchid Show" at the Winter
Garden in New York City. There I bought eight Iwan Apple Blossom
orchid plants. I then placed two orchids each in 3 environments
and one control group. The manipulated variable was the habitat
. The responding variable was the height and width of the orchids
in different environments. The variables held constant were the
"precipitation" amounts, the kind of orchid used, and
the hours of light per day.
The control plants were set up in a window facing northeast with
natural light. The control was in a closed clear plastic container
measuring 730 cubic inches.
The rain forest environment was created in a 10 gallon fish tank.
The light source was a 60 watt "dayglow" bulb. The environment
had a simulated canopy of fake plants. The tank was closed with
two inches of water at the bottom of the tank. There was an island
of small pebbles to one side of the tank that the orchids were
planted in. There were also two tetra fish in the water.
The desert environment was a 730 cubic inch clear plastic aerated
pet carrier. The container was filled about 1/3 of the way with
fine, sand-like gravel. The light source was a 75-watt fluorescent
bulb.
The swamp environment was a closed ten-gallon fish tank filled
with 4 inches of water, one aquatic plant, one crayfish, and one
tetra fish. The orchid was planted in small gravel mixed with
some sandy gravel. The orchid was planted at the water level.
The light source was a 75-watt incandescent bulb with a yellow
cast.
The three environments were set up in a big box-like area. During
a six week period I recorded my observations. I measured both
the height and the leaf span of each plant. Additionally I noted
if the plants produced stems or buds.
Finally, I accepted or rejected my hypothesis and wrote my conclusion
and summary.
III. Analysis of Data:
The orchids in the rain forest grew higher at a faster rate than
all of the other plants. On the sixth week, the control had caught
up though. When it comes to the span of the plants' leaves, the
control grew best. The swamp went at the fastest rate, but then
started to shrink! On the sixth week, the rain forest plants were
at the same span as the control plants. After six weeks, the rain
forest plants grew the best. I figured this out by adding up the
final measurements for each plant in every graph, and the divided
each plant number by two.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
The orchids in the rain forest grew the best because the average
of height and the leaf span was greater than any of the other
plants. Also there was a stem sprouting.
I concluded that the orchids need to be in a humid environment.
They were protected from direct light by the canopy. Therefore
I concluded that they needed filtered bright light. I also thought
that the fish might have contributed fertilizer with their excretions.
Fish also give off carbon dioxide, which plants need for photosynthesis.
Therefore I also concluded that the plants need fertilizer (plant
food) and a source of carbon dioxide.
I accepted my hypothesis that the rain forest would be the best
habitat.
V. Application:
I can apply this information to my life because I am extremely
interested in orchids. Now when I am cultivating orchids, I know
which environment is most likely to support orchids the best.
In fact, I have been able to revive some of the orchids in our
house that were dying by changing their light source and the amount
of water they were getting based on what I learned from this research
project. Cultivators who grow orchids for a living could definitely
use this information to grow large amounts of orchids at once.
This growing method also seems to produce larger and healthier
leaves.
Title: Length of Burning of Different Tree Barks
Student Researcher: Charlie Birns
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, New York
Grade: 7
Teacher: Ms. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
My topic, the length of burning of different tree barks, is a study to find out how long different tree barks burn. I wanted to know what trees would burn for a longer time and which trees were very flammable. I did this project for forest fires. My hypothesis stated that the bigger, bulkier trees would be hardest to burn and shorter, skinny trees would burn more quickly.
II. Methodology:
I tested my hypothesis by collecting samples of five different trees and proceeded to burn them on a grill. The materials I used were a knife, for skinning bark from the trees, a grill to burn the bark, an electric lighter to start the fire, a stopwatch to record the time of burning, a tree identification book to find out what trees I used, and a digital camera to take pictures of the trees and myself conducting the experiment. The only manipulated variable between the samples was the type of tree. The method of burning and size were approximately the same. First, I cut the bark pieces into the same shape and size (3 x 3), and then I placed them on a grill and timed the burning until the bark was in ashes. Last, I recorded the time it took to totally turn to ash, in seconds.
III. Analysis of Data:
The data I recorded indicated that my hypothesis was correct. The thicker trees such as the White Poplar burned for the longest period of time, 7:02 sec., and thin trees like the American Elm were very flammable and burned in only 1:19 sec.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
I found out that bigger tree bark was harder to burn. I accept
my hypothesis because it turned out to work for the trees I tested
and it makes more sense then having thin trees burn longer than
thick ones. There were only two limitations I found in my studies.
One was that it was hard to identify the trees I chose and secondly
some barks weren't easy to peel so I had to find trees that were
easier to peel and weren't on other people's property.
V. Application:
The reason I did this experiment was that I can apply this information to the real world by figuring out what forests and individual trees are easier to burn in case of forest fires. This can help people because signs and warnings can be given in areas highly populated with trees that are more flammable and where people should be especially careful. This also helps home and furniture builders because it tells them what wood is least flammable and would probably be safest in the home.
Title: The Effect of Thyroxin on Rats
Student Researcher: Kendrick Lo
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, New York 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Mrs. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I wanted to find out the effects of thyroxin on a mammal after the school science project on the effects of thyroxin on an amphibian. Thyroxin is a hormone released by the thyroid gland, which increases the growth rate in ones body. I wanted to know if the rats treated with thyroxin would die quicker just like the tadpoles treated with thyroxin did. My hypothesis stated that the thyroxin treated rats would grow bigger and would die quicker than the regular rats.
II. Methodology:
I first wrote my hypothesis and statement of purpose, then
went online and looked for studies with thyroxin and rats to find
out how much thyroxin should be administered. I then went to a
pet shop and bought six rats, a pack of bedding, rat food, a water
bottle, a food canister, and a rat cage. My dad bought a small
pack of thyroxin pills and a few needles. All the rats weighed
100 grams. The manipulated variable was the amount of thyroxin
given to the rats. The controlled variables were the location
of cages, age and health of rats at start date, diet, temperature
and environment. The control group of rats had no thyroxin given.
The responding variable was their behavior, weight, and food intake.
We gave the thyroxin treated rats 4cc's of the chemical. One of the control rats died of sickness, and then soon after, one of the thyroxin treated rats died for no apparent reason, so only four were left. My dad injected the experimental rats for about one week. We then bought another cage, food bowl, and water bottle. We put the experimental rats into the new cage and dissolved 4cc's of thyroxin in their water. I recorded observations and the weight of each rat every week. I then said if my hypothesis was right or wrong and wrote my summary and conclusion. I then applied the data to places beyond the classroom.
III. Analysis of Data:
The thyroxin treated rats became very active in the first week. They ate about three times as many grams of food than the regular rats did. They also seemed bigger in size. Also, their fur color had turned a very bright shade of yellow. Two rats died, but they were not both thyroxin treated rats. They both died so quickly into the experiment so I can't draw any conclusions from it. The second normal rat weighed 175 grams, the third normal rat weighed 190 grams, which averaged to 182.5 grams. The first thyroxin treated rat weighed 200 grams, and the second rat weighed 220 grams, averaging to 210 grams.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
The rats treated with thyroxin were much more active than the control rats. They could run across the cage in less than a second and weighed a little more than the controls. They seemed very agitated compared to the controls and moved a lot more in the day. So, some parts of my hypothesis have been proven correct. The thyroxin treated rats were bigger in size, but since only one of the thyroxin treated rats died so soon in the beginning, I cannot prove that thyroxin treated rats die before normal rats do.
V. Application:
This information can be useful because it proves that thyroxin increases growth rate in rats. I also found out there are many ways to take thyroxin, one being to dissolve it in water, the second being to just swallow the pill, and the third to inject it. The only thing about dissolving the thyroxin in water with the rats is that you can't control how much they drink. Thyroxin is important because it regulates the rate of metabolism in people. The side effects of taking thyroxin in humans is loose stool, excessive sweating, and a faster metabolism rate.
Title: Salt vs. CG-90
Student Researcher: Chris Paskov
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Mr. Rubenstein
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
The objective of this study is to investigate the corrosiveness of salt and CG-90, a chloride deicer. Salt (sodium chloride) and deicers have been used to melt snow on roadways, bridges, parking structures, etc. Laboratory tests indicate that CG-90 is very similar to salt in its ability to melt ice. It consists of salt and corrosion inhibitors (phosphates). The inhibitors are added to salt to reduce its corrosiveness on steel by developing a protective film on steel to prevent the chloride ion from uniting with steel. However, the effect of CG-90 on concrete as well as copper, aluminum, and other similar metals has not been researched yet. I therefore chose to test CG-90 and compare the results with those of salt. My hypothesis was that CG-90 would be less detrimental than salt because of the inhibitors.
II. Methodology:
First, I set my objective and read some relevant literature on CG-90 and deicers in general. Second, I formed a hypothesis. Next, I obtained two test samples of concrete, copper, aluminum, and steel. I massed each sample to find the original mass. One specimen of each of the metals and concrete was placed in a solution containing 3% CG-90 and the other specimens were placed in a solution containing 3% salt. The manipulated variables were all the test samples in CG-90 solution. The responding variable was how fast the test samples corroded. The variables held constant were the amount of CG-90 and salt, the amount of water, how much time the specimens were kept in the solutions, and the type of container. I made observations every day, and took the mass of each specimen every week (see tables). Since the concrete specimens were saturated with water, I let them dry for 24 hours before massing. After the data was collected, I evaluated it in order to reject or accept my hypothesis. The data was then applied to real life.
III. Analysis of Data:
After examining the data, I found that CG-90 was less corrosive than salt. This was true for every test sample used. However, copper produced more powder in CG-90 than in salt.
Some white powder was formed in both the CG-90 and the salt
solutions used for the concrete specimens. This, however, did
not result in change of the concrete specimen mass.
Mass reduction is most rapid during the initial week and slows
down thereafter. Since the initial solutions were used throughout
the test period, they "became weaker" gradually.
CG-90 is much less corrosive to steel than salt is. While salt
produced 10% reduction of mass, CG-90 caused only 0.9%. Similar
results have been published in the literature. For copper and
aluminum, salt and CG-90 caused very comparable reduction of mass.
For copper, the mass reduction was 5%, and 6% in CG-90 and salt,
respectively. For aluminum, the mass reduction was 3% and 4% for
CG-90 and salt respectively.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
All metal specimens placed in CG-90 solution corroded less than those placed in salt solution. Therefore, I accepted my hypothesis, stating that CG-90 would be less corrosive.
The mass reductions for copper were comparable for both, salt and CG-90 solutions. Therefore, the inhibitor used in CG-90 does not reduce the corrosion rate for copper. The same conclusion applies for aluminum as well.
As for concrete in CG-90 solution, the powder produced by the concrete never hardened, unlike the powder in the salt solution. Some previous studies have shown that the presence of salt or CG-90 accelerate concrete spalling and scaling caused by freeze-thaw cycles. Apparently, the addition of inhibitors does not make CG-90 less dangerous for concrete than salt. Since my concrete specimens were not subjected to freeze-thaw cycles, their exposure to salt and CG-90 did not result in spalling and scaling.
V. Application:
I can apply the information obtained in a few ways. When choosing
whether to use CG-90 or salt for my driveway, I would choose CG-90.
In addition, when bridges or roads need to have the snow or ice
melted off them, CG-90 should be used instead of salt.
The manufacturers of chloride-deicers need to modify the inhibitors
by making them less corrosive to copper, aluminum, and other similar
metals. This way, the equipment used for bridge and road maintenance,
as well as sculptures, railing, etc. made of copper and aluminum
would be preserved.
Similar to salt, CG-90 is harmful to the environment. There are some new deicers on the market that do not cause much corrosion in metals, they are safe for concrete, and are excellent for the environment. However, these deicers are still very expensive ($600/ ton versus $36/ ton for salt and $100/ ton for CG-90.)
Title: Do Purebred Dogs Have More Health Problems Than Mixed Dogs?
Student Researcher: Lea Kaminstein
School Address: Edgemont Jr., Sr. High School
2 White Oak Lane
Scarsdale, N.Y. 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Ms. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I wanted to know more about the health problems of dogs because my family couldn't decide between a purebred dog and a mixed-bred dog. My hypothesis is that purebred dogs have more health problems than mixed-bred dogs. This has happened over the years because dogs have been force bred in some cases because breeding has become a business. There are other very complicated reasons but that's a whole other experiment.
II. Methodology:
To get the information needed for my experiment, I went to an
animal hospital. I got records of twenty dogs; ten pure and ten
mixed. I recorded the sick visits and their dates from 1995 to
2000. I have two variables, time and type of dog (mixed or pure).
Time is a variable because I only recorded the visits from 1995-2000.
Mixed or purebred dog is a variable because I am comparing which
one has more health problems.
III. Analysis of Data:
The data that I collected proved my hypothesis right. The purebred
dogs have many more health problems than mixed bred dogs. My charts
show that most of the health problems were in two or three years
and not spread out so much. The totals are: purebred 53 visits
and mixed bred- 38 visits. That's a 15-visit interval!
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
As I said before, I accept my hypothesis because it said that
purebred dogs would have more health problems than mixed dogs.
Another reason is the totals (pure-53, mixed-38). They are 15
visits apart; one of the purebred dogs had 13 visits alone, which
probably raised the average a lot. Some of the problems that occurred
while I was recording my data were, deciding if something was
a health problem or not. For example, getting hit by a car or
getting in a fight with another dog. Another problem was that
one of the purebred dogs was really fat and not in good health
compared to the other dogs, which were in pretty good health except
for these visits.
V. Application:
I will use this information in life when I go to buy a dog. So
I can decide whether or not I want the responsibility and can
pay the expenses of all the health problems of a purebred dog,
or if I would rather have less health problems and more time with
the dog. Personally, I'm leaning towards the mixed dog. Another
way to apply this experiment to life is so that scientists can
research a way to prevent all these health problems in purebred
dogs.
Title: The Corrosion Of Nails
Student Researcher: Howard F. Berman
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Mr. Rubenstien
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
My topic is how fast nails rust in two different liquids; water and vinegar. I wanted to find out which liquid is better for the nails and if the nails rust differently in different liquids. I also wanted to find out if coating the nails with different substances helps prevent rust. My hypothesis stated that the nails would rust the same in both liquids and that both liquids would keep the nails preserved. It also states that coating the nails is better for them.
II. Methodology:
To test my hypothesis I used:
2 plastic cups
8 nails
String
100ml of H2O
100ml of vinegar
Nail polish
Glue
Hot glue
There is only one manipulated variable, which is the liquid. To do this experiment: fill one cup with the H2O and the other with vinegar. Tie about five inches of string to each nail. Coat 2 nails with nail polish, 2 with glue, 2 with hot glue, and leave the last two as controls. Place one of each type of nail in the different liquids, namely water and vinegar. Record results.
III. Analysis of Data:
By analyzing my data, I concluded that vinegar helps prevent rust
and H2O causes it. The data however does show that after a certain
point the rust level goes down because of the water washing it
away. An observation that I made showed a black substance on the
vinegar nails, which appears to be a type of fungus. I also noticed
that hot glue and nail polish seem to prevent rust (at least somewhat)
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
I found out that vinegar protects the nails better than the H2O,
which made the nails rust quicker. My hypothesis was wrong, because
I did not take into account that I was working with two different
liquids. My hypothesis was wrong because the nails in the water
rusted and in vinegar they grew something else, but it certainly
wasn't rust. Part of my hypothesis that was right however, coating
the nails did in fact help protect them, especially the hot glue.
V. Application:
My findings can help solve a problem because if you want to use
nails or build something which may get wet, you might want to
coat them in hot glue because that prevented rust the most. It
will also help the building industry to develop nails that will
not rust. This will improve the quality of the nails and therefore
the structures being built with them.
Title: The Effect of a Multi-Vitamin Supplement and Vitamins D, B, and C on the Growth
of Lima Beans
Student Researcher: Philip Lugovina
School Address: Edgemont Jr./ Sr. High School
White Oak Lane
Scarsdale, NY 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Maria L. Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I was curious about how certain vitamins would affect the growth of plants. Plants receive certain vitamins and minerals from the soil, sunlight, and water which helps them grow strong and healthy, just like human beings. My hypothesis stated that the vitamin C could be too acidic and kill the plants but the others would aid in growth and may even act as a fertilizer.
II. Methodology:
To begin, I wrote my purpose and hypothesis. I used lima beans from the same bag and the same soil for each pot. Then I bought 4 different vitamins (B, C, D, vitamin supplement) of the same brand. I then ground up the vitamins, one by one, with a mortar and pestle and made two concentrations of each. The concentrations were: 1:5 and 1:20. I used 200 ml of water for each solution. With 1 teaspoon = 5 ml I made the correct concentrations. I recorded the height in centimeters every other day and fed each plant one teaspoon of the appropriate solution every other day. I used a spray bottle to make sure all the solution came off the measuring spoon for each plant. The sample size was as follows: 4 control pots with two seeds each, 2 pots with vitamin D in two concentrations, 2 pots with vitamin C in two concentrations, 2 pots with the B vitamins in two concentrations, and 2 pots with a multi-vitamin supplement in two concentrations. The manipulated variable was the vitamin that was being fed. The responding variable was the growth of the plants. The controlled variables were the pots, the soil, the seeds, the location, the amount of water, the way of watering, and the amount of solution. Finally, I analyzed my data, accepted or rejected my hypothesis, wrote a summary and conclusion, and applied my experiment to the world outside the classroom.
III. Analysis of Data:
Plant numbers 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 did not grow. These were three of the control, the lower concentration of vitamin D, both concentrations of the multi-vitamin, and the higher concentrations of vitamins C and B. The plants that grew were one control, the higher concentration of vitamin D, the lower concentration of vitamin C, and both concentrations of the B vitamins. The higher concentration of vitamin D and the lower concentration of the B vitamins did the best out of all plants, by far, growing to the final heights of 73 cm and 72 cm. The control and lower concentration of vitamin C did well also with heights of 16 cm and 27 cm. The higher concentration of the B vitamins had a very late germination and stunted growth.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
The plants that were fed vitamin D in higher concentration and the B vitamins in a lower concentration did the best. It is important to note this is a preliminary study but some conclusions can be made from the data. Vitamin D can be absorbed from the sun therefore supplementing the plant with vitamin D could be like giving the plant more sunlight and in turn might explain the huge growth difference between it and the control. It is possible that the B vitamins have some benefit to plants but too much can stunt growth. Vitamin C is an acid which may explain why the higher concentration did not grow. The multi-vitamin may have caused the seeds to die simply because they don't need all the vitamins, there may be additives in the vitamin supplement, or there might have been a problem with the seeds.
V. Application:
This study can be applied to my life. My dad has a vegetable garden and has many plants that he keeps in his house and maybe if he was feeling he wanted to try something new, he could fertilize his garden with vitamin D or B. Also there maybe could be a study done that could see if some component or form of vitamin D is a real benefit to plants and there could be an agricultural revolution. This could increase the growth and quality of food growth benefiting people's health. Farmers could substitute this new discovery for fertilizer therefore making a more environmentally friendly way of farming. Developing countries could also benefit in the way that there is a possibility that this could improve their farming and economy.
Title: The Amount of Fat In Some Chosen Foods
Student Researcher: Daniel DePasquale
School Address: Edgemont Jr./Sr. High School
Scarsdale, New York 10583
Grade: 7
Teacher: Ms. Maria Russo
I. Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis:
I am very athletic for my size and age, yet I am considered to be overweight by doctors' standards. The purpose of this project was to see if some of my favorite foods are healthy or not. My hypothesis was that many foods I eat have high fat content.
II. Materials and Methodology:
1 50 ml burette and stand
17 - 10 ml pipettes
1 - triple beam balance
1 - small calorie balance
2 - 80 ml beakers
1 - glass funnel
1 - 1,000 ml beaker
1 - 500 ml graduated
85 - ml Hexane (an organic solvent)
To test my hypothesis I took four single serving samples of some of my favorite foods and mixed them in a blender with increments of 250 ml of ice water. When I mixed those things together I was able to see the separate layers of different components present in each food type, namely the protein, the carbohydrate, the water and the layer of fat floating on top. It was necessary to leave the mixture sitting undisturbed overnight in order to obtain better separation. The next day, I scooped the fat out and poured it into a pan. Next, I put the pan in the oven so that the water can evaporate from the mixture. Next, I added Hexane to the reduced mixture for further fat separation. From there the liquid is transferred to a 1,000 ml beaker in which Hexane is added again to extract more fat. The next step is to transfer that to a 50-ml burette. While in the burette I used even more Hexane to extract more fat. I used a pipette to suck out the extra fat. Next, I took a pan and boiled the fat to take out any extra water and Hexane. Then, I transferred the final mixture into a beaker to mass it and I recorded my data.
III. Analysis of Data:
My data showed that my favorite foods have a high fat content. Strawberry Shortcake has 6.15 grams of fat, Chicken Parmesan has 11.2 grams of fat, chicken wings has 5.5 grams of fat and the Diet Garlic Sauce (Chinese) has 3.7 grams of fat.
IV. Summary and Conclusion:
During this project I learned that foods I enjoy have different fat contents. Of the foods tested, the Chicken wings had the highest fat content of 8.70%, followed by the Strawberry Shortcake with 8.10%. The homemade Chicken Parmesan with a 6.10% fat content occupied the third ranking. And of all the samples tested the Diet Garlic sauce ranked the lowest in fat with 4.10% fat content. Nevertheless, the Chicken Parmesan has the highest total fat per serving of all the foods tested.
V. Application:
This project has made me aware of the amount of fat contained in some of my favorite foods. I was able to visualize the separated fat from the foods. At times I became overwhelmed with the grease on my hands and stuck to the glassware (that I had to wash afterwards). In view of that I have already changed my eating habits by avoiding some of the foods I tested.
Another thing I learned was that it takes a long time to complete this experiment. Separating the fat from the food was the longest part of the project. I also learned how to use chemicals, equipment, and do the measurements the correct way. You also have to have a lot of patience, and sometimes the results are not correct and you have to do it over. An important point I learned was that you could not assume in science. Everything has to be measured, sometimes re-measured to assure accuracy in the results.
Since the medical community has established that fats are detrimental to ones health, we should all pay closer attention to the foods we choose to eat. Fats, in your body cause heart disease, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I think that reading the labels in foods that are considered to be low in fat, and also paying attention to the ingredients we are using while we cook, are important steps to reducing fat in our diets.