Science Experiments

Archive for March, 2009

How does a barometer work? – using a barometer to record data

In learning How to make a Barometer, you will need to learn how to use a barometer to record data. Recording data in learning how does a barometer work, do the followings:

• divide each piece of graph paper into seven columns, one for each day of the week.
• to keep the data accurate, tape the paper to a wall and place the bottle close by on a flat tabletop.

• Position the bottle in front of the first column, say, Sunday, so that the straw’s red point almost touches the graph paper.
• At the time of day you make your regular temperature, wind, and precipitation measurements, note the position of the pointer and make a small pencil mark on graph paper.
• Move the bottle to the next column.
• Repeat this procedure each day for the duration of your weather window.

How to read a barometer?

In learning How to make a Barometer, you must also learn how to read a barometer. The first thing to do when learning how to read a barometer is to: watch your barometer work each day.

• When snow or rain is likely, the air inside the bottle will be heavier than the air outside the bottle, and so the balloon will stretch out a little, dipping the pointer down.
• A nice day means the air outside the bottle will be heavier than the air inside the bottle and the balloon will press down into the bottle, moving the pointer up.
• Each day, mark the barometer’s pointer’s position on graph paper.
• After the first week, remove the graph paper and replace it with a fresh piece of graph paper for more barometer readings and recordings.
• Connect the dots with lines to create a picture of air Pressure patterns.

How to make a Barometer

Question: Please help with a Question and a Hypothesis for a science experiment.?

I’m trying to do a science experiment that involves making homemade cotton candy (I have a really good recipe and it really does work). I know I have to change the variable, so I’m going to use – regular sugar, Sweet n Low, Splenda, and brown sugar to make the cotton candy. I already tried it w/regular sugar and it looks and feels like real cotton candy. Next, I’ll test it with the other sugars and see what happens…but I’m stuck on coming up w/a good Question and the right Hypothesis for this experiment for the Scientific Method. I know that I want to see if using different sugars changes the way the threads (cotton candy) comes out (textures, appearance, stability) but then what?? This probably isn’t so hard to figure out, and I chose this because I thought it would be fun…..but I’m getting stressed over this. Please HELP!!! Thanks!!!

Answer: Ok, you’ve got your variable, which is what you change. You just need to select an output; something you can measure to see how the different sugars affect it.
For example, you could pick strength of the cotton candy as your measurable output. This could be measured by pulling apart some cotton candy with a fish scale, or hang weights off of some cotton candy until it breaks.
Your question would be “Which type of sugar will produce the strongest cotton candy.”
Your hypothesis is a theory of what you think might happen. The experiment will either confirm or disprove your hypothesis. Your hypothesis could be “If regular sugar is used, then the cotton candy will be stronger than if artificial sugar is used.”
When you write a conclusion for your experiment, you will need to either say that your hypothesis was confirmed or you will need to change your hypothesis based on the experiments results.
Good luck.

Creation “Science” and the Scientific Method

Question: Basic Plant Question?

The experiment: Two plants of the same species were grown in different places – one in the shade and one in the light. After a month, the plant placed in light was much taller than the plant placed in a shade. What are three causes for the height difference? Same amount of water was given.

Answer: the one that is short, is short because it dd not get enough sun light to make it grow.

sorry i can’t think of any others

3rd Grade Volcano Science project