Science Research » Articles

Quick Science Projects Made Fun & Easy

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:04:58 +0000

Quick science projects are great when you have a limited time frame to complete them or are just looking for a fun way to pass some time on a boring afternoon. There are many options when you’re looking for quick science fair projects, such as how much salt does it take to sink an egg?

All you need for this project is a glass, an egg, water and salt, and you just put the egg in the glass, fill it three-quarters full of water and add the salt, one teaspoon at a time. Another quick science project would to do a food comparison on an animal such as a rodent or a bug, or you could even do it on your own pet. You simply want to find out if they prefer one food over the other. This may not work well for pet dogs though, as most dogs seem to want to eat anything!

You could also do a fairly quick test on depth-perception in humans. All you need is a few cylindrical rods on a table next to each other but at a varying distance from one another, and have a friend cover one eye and try to grab the rod that you specify out of the bunch on the first try. You can then re-arrange the rods and have the friend try to do it with both eyes open. Ask him if he felt he could do it easier with one eye covered or with both eyes open.

By: Dee Schrock

3rd Grade Science Fair Projects and Ideas

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:34:47 +0000

3rd grade science fair projects are a lot of fun because at this age children are eager to explore the world around them and find out how things work. They are constantly wanting to know the answer to the question “What happens if I do this…” and therefore they will likely come up with many different experiments they’d like to try. It may be difficult to decide on just one!

At this age they have a short attention span though, so the projects must be simple, fun and fairly short. There are many, many different project ideas for this age group such as; do all the children in their class have the same size hands and the same size feet as each other? They can research this by tracing the other children’s hands and feet on a piece of paper and comparing them to each other.

They could do a test to see if waterproof mascara is really waterproof. To do this you would need a couple brands of waterproof mascara, a piece of paper and some water. Simply put the mascara onto a sheet of paper and rinse it under some water to see what happens.

Another fun 3rd grade science project would be to see if raw eggs and hard boiled eggs spin the same number of times. Obviously they would need an adult’s help with this one in order to cook the eggs, and then they simply need to spin each egg and record the results. There are lots of great 3rd grade science projects out there; it’s just a matter of finding one that interests them.

By: Dee Schrock

sciencee project involving waterproof mascara

Kids Science Project Idea – Green Eggs

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:53:48 +0000

This science project is unique as you will turn an egg green but how it happens is very interesting and a great demonstration experiment.

Things you will need for the science project.

An egg Red cabbage A pan A pot A bowl Oil A parent to help

You are going to make a green egg and cook it, but you will not be using any food coloring or anything green. Let us get to the experiment and we can discuss the results and hypothesis later.

Take the red cabbage and cut into slices as if you were making cole slaw. You will not need a great deal of cabbage. A cup or two should do the trick. Place the cabbage shreds into the pot and pour in a cup of water. If you are using more cabbage you may want a little more water. You do not need a lot. Turn on your stove top and leave on high or a fairly high heat. Let the cabbage cook for a bit. This could take ten to fifteen minutes. You want to get the water to turn a nice purple red color from the cooked cabbage. We will then use the water from the cabbage. Once the cabbage has cooked and the water is a very dark purple color you are ready.

Take your fresh egg and crack it. Separate the yolk into a small bowl and the white into a little larger bowl. Now take a spoonful of the red water from the cabbage and put into the bowl with your egg white and use the spoon or a fork to stir it up.

Heat up your skillet or pan and place a small amount of oil in the pan as you will be cooking the egg and need to keep it from sticking. When the pan is heated pour the colored egg white into the pan. You will notice the egg white is green. You can also put the yolk on top of the egg white now to cook both together.

This will be cooked sunny side up because you do not want to flip it over as you want everyone to see the green coloring. When done you can obviously eat the egg. There is nothing wrong with it because the coloring was added by the cabbage.

Why did this happen? You took the purple coloring from the cabbage and put it in the egg white and it turned green. You did not have the yolk involved in this. You only added the yolk after the white was cooked to finish the complete egg.

Why did this green coloring happen? What chemical process occurred? Was there any change in the egg shite itself?

This is a great science project for chemistry class in high school.

By: Lesa Bolt

Science Fair Project Ideas That Win Awards – Project #9 – Submarines

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 14:51:56 +0000

Objective

To find out how a submarine uses a propeller and a stabilizing fin for forward movement.

Introduction

Although the submarine you have seen in a movie seems to be gliding along effortlessly, it is actually fighting the forces of gravity, pressure, friction and buoyancy. Have you ever encountered these terms in previous science fair experiments? Among all other science fair experiments, this is one of the best, as you will understand how these forces are overcome by the submarine.

Materials

A 500ml water bottle, a soda bottle (2 liter), knife, scissors, 2 large paperclips, needle-nose pliers, chopsticks, 3 rubber bands, stiff ruler, a silicone sealant, a bathtub or pool

Preparation

The Propeller

This is one of those science fair experiments in which you will need the assistance of an adult.
Cut a soda bottle (2 liter) in half. Take the bottom for making a propeller with 5 curved separate blades. Two holes are to be drilled in the propeller, in the centre and a little off-centre. Cut a small plastic circle out of the remaining 2-litre soda bottle. Bore a hole at the centre of this circular piece of plastic and the submarine bottle cap. The free end of a straightened paperclip should be passed through the cap of the bottle, the circular plastic and the centered propeller hole. The free end should be bent back and passed through the non-centered hole in such a way as to keep the cap, the plastic piece and the propeller in close contact with each other, but allow the propeller to rotate freely.
The Submarine
Drill two holes at the bottom of a 500 ml water bottle similar to the propeller holes. Now feed the straightened end of a paperclip from the inside of the bottle through the central hole. Bend the free tip and pass it in the non-centered hole. Secure the paperclip in such a way that it will not turn. This part is very tricky, so use a chopstick. Attach a rubber band between both the paperclip hooks. The rubber band must be tightly stretched between the hook at the bottle’s base and the hook on the cap. Attach the ruler perpendicular to the water bottle body in the centre with the help of two rubber bands in the form of an “X”. The ruler is your stabilizing fin. Now use a waterproof sealant to close all the paperclip holes in the bottle.

Your submarine is now ready.

Testing your Submarine
Fill three-quarters of the submarine bottle with water and put the cap on. Turn the propeller to build potential energy in the rubber band. Science fair experiments require that you write down all your activities. So count the number of turns and write this number in your lab book. You must turn the propeller that many times in future.
Procedure

Now you will position the stabilizing fin in the front, center and the back in different ways and have some fun observing how your submarine moves. Record your observation each time. Use the below-mentioned ten positions.
No fins- Middle: Fin Centered- Middle: Fin moved to the right – Middle: Fin moved to the left – Front: Fin Centered- Front: Fin moved to the right – Front: Fin moved to the left – Back: Fin Centered- Back: Fin moved to the right – Back: Fin moved to the left –

The observations will allow you to answer the following questions:
What would happen if there was no stabilizing fin? What is the best position for the fin? Why is a stabilizing fin important in a submarine?

If you’re ready to get started with your submarine experiment, your next step is to download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.

By: Aurora L.

bottle submarine project stabilizing, competia, science projects that win awards

Evolution Vs Science Vs Modernity

admin — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 11:49:02 +0000

It is hard to believe in some of the biological and fairy junks I may be saying here, but if you have read ordinary and advance biology, physiology, medicine, neurology, brain-science and human ecology, discrediting this essay will be simply difficult to do, because in it stand a very special attributes of modern day debate, and the crux of technology. Apart from having a scientific insight into what this essay is actually talking about, it has as well the vibe that makes the reader wants to gasped for more, and always being filled or consumed by so many questions.

There are many different life forms on earth. New species and different sub species are evolving every second as others die out; a visit to some of the rare jungles in Africa, around the rain-forest region of the Niger Delta axis, the Oshogbo peninsular, Dahomey basis, the Nile farms and others, a crucial experiencer will never be satisfied with what his/her sees and the originality of the flow of life of both birds, insects, mammals and reptiles, all combines their melodies to make life in the rain forest more abundant, and more pleasing to passerby and those who are origins of these higher plateaus. Another journey can still be envisaged around the Caucasian polarization, the Indian Ocean, the Antarctica, the meditareania and the mongoloid aborigines. The lives of the Eskimos is another specimen to be studied, amongst them is the Latina Medusiolas, a ground of pure Indians above the Aswan Rivers in Canada.

In order to explain the origin of life, people have used the bible story of creation, some have used the African folk-lures, and others have based theirs on traditional logic and lexis, while others came up with their own theories. Out of all those theories, the theory of evolution by Charles Darwin (The historian, the evolutionist and the Father of modern biological theories along with Mendel) seems to have the most supporting evidence to back it up. Evidence on earth suggests that single cell creatures are the ancestors of all life.

Yet the question I must ask is, are these really true? We cannot argue nor succumb to such theorem altogether, because we are not fools. Nevertheless, knowingly and unknowingly we have support such claims of the genes, chromosomes, alleles and the host of other evolutionist logics and terminology, it is true, because empirically, it has been known to be applicable in many research despite being controlled and uncontrolled, it has worked in modern day Agriculture, Biology, Medicine and Psychology. In law, Society, Politics, Technology, Space, science and humanity, evolution has tend to push our sense of judgment in this areas without knowingly which other path to follow.

The researchers who brought about evolution, and those who have criticize it afterward have followed same path, because even while those who criticize the law tends not to support it, or haven an alternative clues to science and the re-establishment of Mendel’s and Darwin’s Laws, they have altogether circumscribe to the relics of such mountainous argument posit by Darwin and Co.

These organisms slowly evolved into air breathing creatures when oxygen was created. Slowly, the as land dried up, these creatures moved away from the water and on to land where they evolved legs and a strong back bone Mendel et al. The theory of evolution by Charles Darwin explained how life evolved from survival of the fittest, it provides a logical explanation of the evolutionary process these creatures took, and how human came to be. Evidence on earth shows that single cell organisms eventually evolved to multicelled organisms and complex beings. If you look at old fossil records, the oldest fossils are all single cell creatures.

These simple creatures do not require oxygen to live. It took in energy from the sun and other energy sources (This explains the Nitrogen circle and the Newton’s 6th law of motion otherwise called the 10% law of energy conservation). Slowly as oxygen begins to appear on Earth, some of the organisms began to evolve lungs to breathe oxygen because when free oxygen entered the picture. Breathing is more efficient than drawing energy from the fermentation process that earlier microscope life used.

Other organisms that did not evolve lungs either died out or went down to deeper depths of the ocean; Oxygen was first consider a pollutant by microscopic creatures, except on its corrosive form as combine with Hydrogen in liquid form (H2O – Water). (Evolution Pg. 36) Because of the free Oxygen those who did not change were killed. The evolution through natural selection and survival of the fittest shows that Darwin theory is correct. Due to the lack of oxygen within the ocean, fish slowly evolved to the condition of land. Due to the sudden increase in the population of fish and other marine organism. Due to the sudden increase in the population of marines’ life, the oxygen level within the ocean decreased. Scientist believes that the lung fish evolved because of a lack of oxygen in the sea. The lung fish learned to rise from the sea and breathe in the oxygen necessary for survival. (Evolution evidence Pg. 38) As more land emerges and dry, rain collected and formed fresh water lakes and rivers. Some of the fish became stranded by the receding ocean.

Many fish that became stranded died because they were not able to adapt to the new environment; those fish needed salt water to lived died. But some adapted to their environment. (Evolution Pg. 38) The lobe fin fish was another evolutionary path fish toke to avoid the lack of oxygen in the sea. Fossil record shows that lobe finned lung fish took another evolutionary path. (Microsoft Encarta Pg. 2) The lobe fin fish was almost capable of leaving the water. It only needed more muscles in the joints to be able to lift it self up, because of this many people believe that the lobe fin fish was the ancestor of early reptilian creatures.

The different evolutionary paths the fish have taken show that life changes in responses to different environmental conditions. Fossil records in South America and Africa especially in those Ijaw community areas, reveals that there are many sub species of the human race. The fossil of Neanderthal man was discovered shortly after Darwin published his book on evolution. The Neanderthal man was considered to be an ancestor of mankind because of the size of the skull which suggested that it had a small brain.

The sloping forehead is also an indication that it is an ancestor of the human race. Not long after the discovery of the Neanderthal was found in the 1890′s. This fossil was called the Java Man; the Java Man was not considered the missing link between humans and apes. (Evolution Pg. 102) The Java Man was too alike a normal human to be the missing link. The missing link is a fossil of a creature that is in a transitional state between it original form and it new form. (I.e. A dinosaurs with feathers) With the discovery of Lucy in South America it was concluded that Human were likely descendent of the Ape family. The unique thing about Lucy was that it skeletal structure was almost complete. From the bones, scientist can tell that Lucy was about three and a half feet tall and weighted about sixty pounds. (Evolution evidence Pg. 48) Lucy looked like a human from a far but up close; Lucy still had the appearance of an ape. With the discovery of many different fossil of the Homo family, it certain that human did evolve from an ape like creature.

In the creation story it said that God created everything in 7 days. It can’t be used literally but still does not provides enough information about creation to explain everything. The creation story can explain how the first creatures were formed but that is about the only logical thing in the story. The existence of God is debatable and thus the creation story does not have any solid proof to be a valid theory. The creation story also says everything was created in 7 days but evidence shows that the earth is ever changing. There are many contradictions between the Creation story and the Earth. For example. We know for a fact that life on earth changes overtime in response to the ever changing environment.

The creation story could be used to help further develop Darwin theory of evolution. The creation story does not explained how life evolved from survival of the fittest, it does not provides a logical explanation of the evolutionary process these creatures took, and what happen before life existed. Evolution can’t explain certain aspect of how life came to be. There are many scientists that disagree with Darwin views on evolutions.

The reasons that scientists disagree is because they think the fossil record shows that there were ‘jumps’ in evolution that Darwin’s idea does not explain. (Science: Biology Pg. 167) The jumps does not occur often but is still there. The fossil record was considered inaccurate by some scientist since it shows the natural selection side of the story. The other scientists say that the major changes, macro evolution, that bring about new species come in ‘jumps’. (Evolution & Creation Pg. 148) The jumps theory does not have enough evidence to be widely accepted, however is still consider one of the major theory in how life become so diverse on earth. Creation and intervention are all non valid theories of how life came to be on earth.

Evolution is the only theory that has major evidences to back it up. The question of which theories is correct is base upon opinions of others. Evolution no doubt did occur and that is the reason why there are so much diversity of life on earth. Human and other modern day creatures all show characteristics of creatures in the past. The main reason people reject evolution is because they don’t believe they could be related to more primitive creatures because they are consider inferior. The theory of evolution is the best theory for life on earth and unless more evidences suggest other wises, it will most likely be a fact instead of a theory.

Since Evolution has known its roots and time, let us as Africans check if such logic and theory over time has been true. If they were even correct in the first place or if philosophically they owe any significance to modern day science, if what is happening nowadays doesn’t alter the change or the argument. I believe beyond all reasonable doubt that, if Darwin, Mendel and all their crew were alive, they would have resort to other techniques of proving their theory, because inductively, all these theory has not locus standi in the scheme of scientific inquiries. It is of this view that I have done my part in researching so many clauses which is contained in the study of evolution. If we as Africans can concentrate our energy towards finding what is truth, through some rare archives, which I took the pain to research, could help us in telling the world how controversial, and how overwhelming the theory of evolution were and was in our modern time.

I think I have said enough in this article.

By: Carl-Collins Oshodi