Our first day of Group 4 project, we managed to get together a couple of really good ideas for investigations we could do assosciated with bathroom science. Our aim with these investigations was to explore new creative throughts about all the four science's combined to get a grander picture of how a simple area of the house which people don't normally pay too much attention to works.
This photo depicts us whilst we were investigating the different viscosity properties of some cleaning liquids normally present in the bathroom. To do this, we got 3 samples of cleaning liquids and pored them into measuring cylinders, each containing 250ml, we then got a metal sphere and we timed how long it took to fall to the bottom of the measuring cylinders with the different liquids. After measuring the distance we could calculate velocity and by using a formula then we where also able to measure its viscosity.
Also this is a link to the video of us introducing the experiment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6udSGllAjI
Our second investigation, consisted of simulating the process of digestion by mechanically breaking up the two different types of bread and left them overnight in a solution of enzymes. The photos show the white bread and brown bread solution:
White bread
Brown Bread
After leavin the solution overnight 'digesting' and during our second day we distilled the solution to then get only the digested food as shown in the next photo:
After distilling the solutions we collected the separated the food and collected them into measuring cylinders, we then measured the different masses. Using the formula m=V/p we could calculate the density by reading the volume from the measuring cyinders and measuring the mass. As it turned out, brown bread was more dense then the white bread once digested which is to expect since we cannot digest fiber.
Another experiment we tested was the different forces required to rip a sheet of toilet paper. We did this with 3 different branded toilet papers. A single sheet, double-sheet, and a triple-sheet, toilet papers. We found out how much mass was required for the sheets to rip. The setup of this experiment is shown in the photo below:
This method for measuring how much mass it took for the sheet to rip worked fine for all these papers since there was not too much force required to break, however in another related experiment we made some recycled paper and we wished to test out the resistance of this paper. Since the paper we made was quite thick we required another method for measuring the force. What we did was attach the paper to a force sensor which in turn was attached to the Vernier device and by setting it to zero with the mass of paper included had someone pull until the paper ripped. Once we had the reading in newtons we simply had to convert it to grams. The photo below shows how it was set up:
Our second investigation, consisted of simulating the process of digestion by mechanically breaking up the two different types of bread and left them overnight in a solution of enzymes. The photos show the white bread and brown bread solution:
White bread
After leavin the solution overnight 'digesting' and during our second day we distilled the solution to then get only the digested food as shown in the next photo:
Another experiment we tested was the different forces required to rip a sheet of toilet paper. We did this with 3 different branded toilet papers. A single sheet, double-sheet, and a triple-sheet, toilet papers. We found out how much mass was required for the sheets to rip. The setup of this experiment is shown in the photo below:
This method for measuring how much mass it took for the sheet to rip worked fine for all these papers since there was not too much force required to break, however in another related experiment we made some recycled paper and we wished to test out the resistance of this paper. Since the paper we made was quite thick we required another method for measuring the force. What we did was attach the paper to a force sensor which in turn was attached to the Vernier device and by setting it to zero with the mass of paper included had someone pull until the paper ripped. Once we had the reading in newtons we simply had to convert it to grams. The photo below shows how it was set up:
The recycled paper used in this investigation was also made by our group we used a simple process of shredding old newspaper and soaking them in water and then leaving them to dry. These are some photos of that process:
Us shredding newspaper
Us soaking the newspaper
Us removing the water from the paper
Us drying the paper
Another experiment we did where to measure the relationship between the height at which a the water falls from and the pressure it comes out. The horizontal distance it is able to travel will be proportional to the pressure with which it comes out. In our experiment we got a plastic pipe which was able to contain 2l of water. In the plastic tube we drilled holes 10cm apart with the first one being also 10cm away from the minuscules. We then tested each individual hole making sure that the other holes which where not being tested where covered up as to not effect the results of the other.
The photo below shows the setup:
In a more environmental systems sided experiment we attempted to see if different cleaning products would affect the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water which is flushed down the toilet. We used a vernier device with a dissolved oxygen measuring probe and measured the dissolved oxygen concentration of the different solutions.
We also decided to investigate how certain cleaning products effect the growth of seeds and if they can in fact prevent them from growing. We got some dishes and put some soaked paper in them. We had a controlled which was simple seeds and water, another with bleach, another with pipe cleaner and a fourth with cleaning liquid.
Below are some photos of us preparing:
In a more chemistry related experiment we wanted to see how much volume of pipe cleaner is required to neutralize 25cm^3 of hydrochloric acid. We used a large pipet to contain the pipe cleaner, and used 4 diffrent conical flasks with 25cm^3 of hydrochloric acid each.
Here is a video of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbT6aZXwhQk
We tested 3 different types of toilet paper for the presence of glucose, we shreded up the different toilet paper into small pieces and placed them in 3 different beakers mixed up with water. Then we got the solutions from the different beakers and poured them into different boiling tubes to which we added cellulase (the digestive enzyme of cellulase). This is shown in the bottom photo:
Then we put the boiling tubes with the solution of toilet papers and cellulase into the water bath we left them during 2 hours so that the enzymes where able to act in optimal conditions. The photo below shows this:
After we left them boiling we used glucose test strips to test for the presence of glucose as shown below:
Finally this is our link to the final presentation made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_5kDiHJPiU
Us shredding newspaper
Us soaking the newspaper
Us removing the water from the paper
Us drying the paper
Another experiment we did where to measure the relationship between the height at which a the water falls from and the pressure it comes out. The horizontal distance it is able to travel will be proportional to the pressure with which it comes out. In our experiment we got a plastic pipe which was able to contain 2l of water. In the plastic tube we drilled holes 10cm apart with the first one being also 10cm away from the minuscules. We then tested each individual hole making sure that the other holes which where not being tested where covered up as to not effect the results of the other.
The photo below shows the setup:
We also decided to investigate how certain cleaning products effect the growth of seeds and if they can in fact prevent them from growing. We got some dishes and put some soaked paper in them. We had a controlled which was simple seeds and water, another with bleach, another with pipe cleaner and a fourth with cleaning liquid.
Below are some photos of us preparing:
In a more chemistry related experiment we wanted to see how much volume of pipe cleaner is required to neutralize 25cm^3 of hydrochloric acid. We used a large pipet to contain the pipe cleaner, and used 4 diffrent conical flasks with 25cm^3 of hydrochloric acid each.
Here is a video of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbT6aZXwhQk
We tested 3 different types of toilet paper for the presence of glucose, we shreded up the different toilet paper into small pieces and placed them in 3 different beakers mixed up with water. Then we got the solutions from the different beakers and poured them into different boiling tubes to which we added cellulase (the digestive enzyme of cellulase). This is shown in the bottom photo:
Then we put the boiling tubes with the solution of toilet papers and cellulase into the water bath we left them during 2 hours so that the enzymes where able to act in optimal conditions. The photo below shows this:
After we left them boiling we used glucose test strips to test for the presence of glucose as shown below:
Finally this is our link to the final presentation made:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_5kDiHJPiU
