Abstracts
5239
How Different Liquids Affect Plants Alex Wicksman and G. Zem (teacher)
Ernest Lawrence Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet 10100 Variel Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
My study was about finding out how different liquids affect both food plants and flowers. I tested using Coca-Cola, lemon juice, water and hydrogen peroxide. I also used four strawberry plants and four flower plants. The purpose of the experiment was to see if there was any better liquid to feed plants with other than water. My test was conducted over 14 days and every other day I added the liquids. I thought that the hydrogen peroxide plants would do the best, then the water plants, next the Coca-Cola plants, and the worst plants would be the ones with lemon juice. What I found out was that the hydrogen peroxide flower plant did the best overall, but the strawberry one did not do that well. My two water plants were the constant and they both did well as expected. The Coca-Cola and lemon juice plants both died and did just as I thought they would. So, the results of my lab showed that I should just stick with water as my best chance to feed both fruit and flower plants. 5240
The Study of Music H. Serna and G. Zem (teacher)
Ernest Lawrence Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet 10100 Variel Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
My experiment tested whether music affected your concentration level as well as being able to comprehend what you are studying. To begin this experiment I organized four test groups (pop, classical, heavy metal and no music), with five people in each group. They had to read the same passage while listening to a certain genre of music. After finishing the story they completed a questionnaire form, while listening to music, consisting of five simple questions. After grading all the sheets of paper I soon came to the conclusion of how certain types of music affected the level of focus for each person. The results came in that an average of 68% of the questions were answered correctly while listening to pop music, an average of 80% when listening to heavy metal, an average of 68% when listening to classical music, and an average of 76% when listening to no music. My hypothesis for this experiment was that if no music or classical music was played in the background while the test subjects read their stories, then they would comprehend more, resulting in higher scores in those two groups. Obviously, my hypothesis was incorrect and it was the heavy metal category that turned out to have the most questions answered correctly. I learned thorough this experiment that music has an influence on how well someone can concentrate on or comprehend something. 5241
Red Cabbage: Accurate pH Indicator? V. Farkhondeh and G. Zem (teacher)
Ernest Lawrence Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet 10100 Variel Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
This study examined the accuracy of a red cabbage used as a pH indicator. A head of a red cabbage was chopped into small pieces and placed inside a pot, where it was boiled with tap water for about 15 minutes. The red cabbage juice was poured into 100 ml test tubes and then poured into cups of 250 ml beverages. These beverages included water, lemon juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, Coca-Cola, vinegar, detergent, baking soda, milk, cream of tartar, black coffee and bleach. After the cabbage juice was poured into each beverage, the color of the beverage would immediately change according to the amount of pH in the substance. To accurately decide whether the substance was acidic or basic, you would look to a typical pH scale found on the Internet, and match the colors. If the substance was acidic, the color would normally change to a reddish-pink color. If the substance was neutral, it would change to a dark purple color, and if 54
California State University, Northridge & Van Nuys Airport
the substance was basic, it would change to a greenish-yellow color. After matching every substance with the correct pH level, I would check on the Internet and see if I was correct. Each experiment was repeated three times with the same results. The results suggest that a red cabbage is about 95% accurate. Therefore it concludes that a red cabbage is a fairly accurate pH indicator. 5242
How Did Coffee Grounds Work as Compost? Megan Birnbaum and G. Zem (teacher)
Ernest Lawrence Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet 10100 Variel Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
This experiment investigated the use of a common household item as an eco-friendly fertilizer. Before I began I believed that plants with coffee grounds would do better than just plants by themselves, because coffee grounds would provide them with nitrogen, retain moisture and have been proven to be used successfully as an ingredient in compost. To do this experiment, I obtained a bowl of already used coffee grounds, two greenhouse kit/planters and two packets of seeds (sweet corn and green beans). I then planted the seeds according to the greenhouse instructions and covered one of the planters in coffee grounds. I watered the plants and took care of them, and waited to see what would happen. The results proved my hypothesis right. After just one week the coffee ground plants were already growing much faster than the regular plants. They were distinguishably taller, greener and had more leaves. It helped that the plants I used were known for flourishing in a nitrogen-rich environment. The research I did beforehand caused me to believe that the coffee grounds would work their magic. Many gardening websites highly recommended coffee grounds in the use of composting, and scientific statistics showed that the high levels of nitrogen in coffee are helpful to plant growth, but that after going through the coffee machine, enough acid is removed so that the grounds are not harmful to plants. This project suggests that applying coffee grounds to plants does indeed cause them to grow faster and better than plants would grow by themselves, though I would have to do this experiment a couple more times to completely prove it. In the end, I believe that this experiment was helpful to me in learning how to be eco-friendly and it forced me to be responsible enough to care for my own plants. 5243
Temperatures and Conditions of Bubbles, Must Be Noticed Before It Rubbles Aqsa Iqbal and G. Zem (teacher)
Ernest Lawrence Gifted/Highly Gifted Magnet 10100 Variel Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311
This experiment was made to determine under what circumstances a bubble lives the longest. For that a container, water, liquid bubble, bubble additives and a straw were needed. This experiment can take place in the freezer, microwave, and outdoors in warm and cold weather. When the bubble is being tested outdoors, it must be in an open environment, not in a locked up area. Results show that the bubble survived the longest in the freezer indoors with the lid on the container with the bubble in it. In addition, the additives gave different results in all of the conditions from one another. Humidity caused the bubbles to last long because when they were placed outdoors in a fresh environment, the evaporation cycle was continuous. When they were locked up, the bubble lived a pretty good life. In conclusion, the weather and where a bubble is blown make a great difference in the bubble’s life span.