Abstracts
The combined totals for all four days came to R&B: 335 chirps, pop: 352 chirps, rock: 447 chirps, alternative: 314 chirps and rap: 289 chirps. From this experiment I discovered that parakeets react the most to rock music. This experiment proves my hypothesis correct. 5142
Absorbing Impact
Ethan Schwartz and S. Tanaka (teacher) Gaspar de Portola Middle School 18720 Linnet St. Tarzana, CA 91356
In observing impact barrels on the side of the road that are filled with sand, I wondered if sand was the best material for impact absorption. The purpose of this experiment is to see which materials should be used as the best protection against impact. For my experiment I tested impact absorption through water, sand, cornstarch and biodegradable foam packing peanuts. My hypothesis was that the sand would absorb impact better than water, cornstarch or foam packing peanuts. I believed sand would absorb the force of the impact better because it is a harder grain material and heavier in weight than the other tested materials. This experiment utilizes four 1-gallon double ziplocked freezer bags, filled with water, sand, cornstarch or foam packing peanuts. First the bags were filled with 1 inch of each material. Then an 8” x 8” pan was filled with 1 1/2 inches of Play-Doh. A 5-pound weight was dropped from 30 inches up onto the Play-Doh. The indentation in the Play-Doh made by the weight was measured and smoothed out. Then the bag of sand was placed onto the Play-Doh pan and the weight was dropped onto it from the 30-inch height. The indentation made by the weight in the Play-Doh was measured and smoothed out. The process was repeated for the cornstarch, water and packing peanuts. The weight left a 3/8-inch indentation when dropped on the unprotected Play-Doh. The Play-Doh, when being protected by the bag full of sand, had a 1/8-inch indentation from the weight and no visible indentation when protected by the bag of packing peanuts. The weight left a trace of an indentation in the Play-Doh when dropped on the bag of cornstarch. The bag of water was popped by the weight and the Play-Doh under it was left with a 1/16-inch indentation. The results showed that sand was not the best material for absorbing impact. It appears the foam peanuts were better at impact absorption. This can be useful information when deciding what to use to protect valuables in shipping or deciding what goes into impact barrels that protect bridge supports and construction sites. Perhaps cities can use foam peanuts in impact barrels instead of sand to provide better protection for people. There are variables that may change the results. For example, if a softer substance was used instead of Play-Doh, the indentation made by the impact may have been more visible. In two instances the bags broke, so a stronger bag with a better seal may also have impacted results. 5143
Candy Coloring
Jasmine Puentes and S. Tanaka (teacher) Gaspar de Portola Middle School 18720 Linnet St. Tarzana, CA 91356
This experiment tested which candy has the most food coloring. For this experiment, I tested Skittles, M&M’s, Starbursts and Jolly Ranchers. I think that either Skittles or M&M’s will have the most food coloring because they are both brightly colored. This experiment can be helpful to people when deciding which sweet snack is better for them to eat. To conduct this experiment, you need the proper materials. So first, I went to the store and bought the different types of candy. I already had water, coffee filters, plates and a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon at my house. To
test this, I did three trials for each candy. I laid 12 coffee filters on plates and put one candy on each filter. I used the brightest color of each candy because they showed up the best on the filters. I used three orange Skittles, three green M&M’s, three red Starbursts and three green Jolly Ranchers. Then, I placed 1/4 teaspoon of water on each candy and moved them to dry plates. I let them sit overnight so that all the coloring would come out. When I woke up in the morning, I measured the diameter of the circle of coloring that came out from each candy in centimeters and recorded the results. Then I averaged out the numbers to have one number for each brand of candy. As aforementioned, I executed three trials for each candy. For Skittles, the diameters were 8 cm, 7 cm and 8 cm, with an average of 7.6 cm. For M&M’s, the diameters were 4 cm, 3.5 cm and 4 cm, with an average of 3.83 cm. For Starbursts, the diameters were 4.5 cm, 2.5 cm and 3 cm, with an average of 3.6 cm. For Jolly Ranchers, the diameters were 2.5 cm, 2.5 cm and 2 cm, with an average of 2.3 cm. I learned that Skittles have a lot more food coloring than the other candies and M&M’s come up in second place. This proves my hypothesis. According to the site http://healingautismandadhd.wordpress.com/2010/02/12/ artificial-food-coloring-is-evil/, an excessive amount of food coloring in your diet can cause asthma, hyperactivity and autism. Apparently, the petroleum found in food coloring causes this, along with other chemicals used in the manufacturing process. The site also talks about why the FDA hasn’t stopped this and other healthy habits to keep your diet on track. So, although Skittles are a delicious treat, they can cause some serious damage if you have too many and that’s something to think about! 5144
Where Should Your Elbow Face? Justin Munro and S. Tanaka (teacher) Gaspar de Portola Middle School 18720 Linnet St. Tarzana, CA 91356
Do you think your basketball shooting percentage differs depending on if your elbow is tucked in or not? Well, I worked over the past three weeks trying to figure out which form provided me with the highest shooting percentage. I took 40 shots from the free throw line for 20 days (20 elbow in, 20 elbow out) to find out the answer. I chose this experiment because it will not only find an answer to my question, but will also improve my basketball game. The experiment is important because it can help young basketball players improve the shooting aspect of their game at a younger age. Before starting my shooting, I predicted that shooting with your elbow in would result in a higher shooting percentage of makes. Before I started shooting I got all the materials I needed to shoot. First I got duct tape and measured 15 feet from the basketball hoop, so that my free throw shooting would be from the correct distance. Next, I put on my Adidas basketball shoes, grabbed my Jordan basketball and went outside to shoot. My basketball shoes are a size 7 and my basketball is size 29.5 centimeters. Each day for 20 days I shot 40 shots to test my experiment. The number of shots going into the basket varied every day and showed me which position was more consistent. After 20 days of shooting I found out that my hypothesis was correct. However, not only did I learn that shooting with your elbow in resulted in a higher percentage, but also that shooting every day helped increase my percentage. In my first 11 trials I was normally getting 11/20 or 12/20, but then from trials 12-20 I was averaging about 14/20 or 15/20. When I shot with my elbow out I normally got 9/20 and I never got more than 12/20. I averaged 71% from the line with my elbow tucked in and 41% with my elbow out, which clearly shows that shooting with your elbow tucked in helps you be more consistent. This experiment proved that shooting with your elbow tucked in and aimed toward the basket results in a higher percentage than shooting with your elbow out and not facing the basket. After this experiment I also became a better free throw shooter. Other scientists would find this
New Journal of Student Research Abstracts 2012
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