Special Project for Science (Major Grade)

Special Project for Science (Major Grade)

Due date: December 11, 2012

Choose one of the following investigations. Choose a different investigation. Use the 6 steps of the scientific method to conduct your investigation. Plan your investigation, carry out your investigation and write your own lab report. Use the sample lab report (on the back of this page) as a model. A grading rubric will be posted on the internet on your science teacher’s website and will be given in class to paste in your science notebook. You must include photos of you conducting your science investigation.

·  Does plastic tape or paper tape hold the weight of an object longer under water?

·  Which kind of bag, paper or plastic, can hold more weight?

·  Which will melt faster, an ice cube in a closed container or an ice cube in an open container?

·  Does a penny sink faster in room temperature water, oil or “Sprite”?

·  Which bread will mold first, bread sealed in a plastic baggie or bread sitting on a plate in open air?

·  Is “Bounty” more absorbent than the store brand paper towel?

·  What is the effect of salt on the time it takes water to boil?

·  Does the mass of chewing gum change over the amount of time it is chewed?

·  Which solution, vinegar, Coke or ketchup removes corrosion on a penny best?

·  Which brand of popcorn pops the most kernels? Cheap vs. expensive (count the number of unpopped kernels.)

·  Which evaporates faster, salt water or tap water?

Remember our 6 steps:

1.  Problem – the question that asks what you are trying to discover and should NOT be a yes or no question.

2.  Hypothesis- our educated guess. Should be a complete sentence with a “because” statement.

3.  Materials-a list of all equipment needed to conduct the experiment

4.  Procedures-Our step-by-step list of instructions of how to conduct the experiment. Be sure to include photos of your investigation.

5.  Data/Results-Results should be in graph or table form. You may include a paragraph with observations or other thoughts. Include any problems that you may have had.

6.  Conclusion-a paragraph answering the problem backed up by your results from your investigation.

Sample Lab Report

Does Mass Change during a Change in State?

PROBLEM

How does the mass of melted ice compare with the mass of the ice before it melts?

HYPOTHESIS

The mass of the melted ice will be greater than the mass of the ice before it is melted because during the melting process some of the water escapes.

MATERIALS

2 cups of ice

Baggie

Scale

PROCEDURES

1.  Put ice into the baggie.

2.  Weigh the ice and baggie and record the mass.

3.  Let the ice melt.

4.  Reweigh the water and baggie and record the mass.

DATA

Mass before melting / Mass after melting
100g / 100g

Mass of Ice

OBSERVATIONS (optional, but good to have)

The ice took three hours to melt completely. No water escaped from the baggie, but condensation formed on the outside of the baggie.

CONCLUSION

My hypothesis was incorrect. The mass does not change when a substance goes through a state change. The mass of the melted ice was the same as the ice before it melted. Even though condensation formed on the baggie, no mass escaped from the closed container.