Survey Question For Science Fair

ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">You dont need to be a scientist</div>Hey, I was inspired yesterday when someone posted a survey on pencil sharpeners (forgot the name or link) to make my own survey of my science fair. It was a miserable failure (i tried to evaporate salt water to make water with only mirrors and the sun) and I decided that maybe I could get some extra info in a survey to back me up.

Just complete this survey (the essay questions i don't care about them too much) and it would help me out so much.

<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=474423208490" target="_blank">Survey</a>


Thanks to all that took the time to complete it! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
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  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->This survey is currently closed.

    Please contact the author of this survey for further assistance.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602449:date=Jan 28 2007, 02:53 PM:name=Chocolate)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Chocolate @ Jan 28 2007, 02:53 PM) [snapback]1602449[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    (i tried to evaporate salt water to make water with only mirrors and the sun)
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    So... you tried to evaporate water?

    Lame.
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  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    Yeah, I'm pretty sure you won't get anywhere trying to heat <i>clear</i> water with light. It needs to either be murky water or needs a focal object in the middle (preferably black non-reflective) to absorb the light energy.
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    You'd have better luck evaporating the water with only the power of the sun, some mirrors, and a portable electric hot-plate. An alternative to Them's black, non-reflective object in the water is lining the container in black, nonreflective material. That will heat up the container and hopefully the water.
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  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    <!--quoteo(post=1602482:date=Jan 28 2007, 01:15 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Jan 28 2007, 01:15 PM) [snapback]1602482[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    An alternative to Them's black, non-reflective object in the water is lining the container in black, nonreflective material. That will heat up the container and hopefully the water.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    But it's a science fair, suspending objects in water will get more attention. Also, he's right and it'd be easier.
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602482:date=Jan 28 2007, 04:15 PM:name=TychoCelchuuu)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TychoCelchuuu @ Jan 28 2007, 04:15 PM) [snapback]1602482[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    You'd have better luck evaporating the water with only the power of the sun, some mirrors, and a portable electric hot-plate. An alternative to Them's black, non-reflective object in the water is lining the container in black, nonreflective material. That will heat up the container and hopefully the water.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Or do a project that has atleast some kind of possible use. Like this group of kids in my school, all 3 of them are very smart/ their science fair board is always great and they know everything about their project. Only problem is: Their project is completely pointless (Burning feces to try and make carbon, then filter water with the carbon...). So while my board/ project/ research wasn't nearly as in-depth as theirs, they never made it past regionals in all 3 years. While I went to International (World) level last year.
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  • pardzhpardzh Join Date: 2002-10-25 Member: 1601Members
    Err, what exactly are you trying to <i>prove</i>? That water evaporates?
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  • TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu Anememone Join Date: 2002-03-23 Member: 345Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602488:date=Jan 28 2007, 01:23 PM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Jan 28 2007, 01:23 PM) [snapback]1602488[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Or do a project that has atleast some kind of possible use. Like this group of kids in my school, all 3 of them are very smart/ their science fair board is always great and they know everything about their project. Only problem is: Their project is completely pointless (Burning feces to try and make carbon, then filter water with the carbon...). So while my board/ project/ research wasn't nearly as in-depth as theirs, they never made it past regionals in all 3 years. While I went to International (World) level last year.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    For every bit of scientific progress that we get from people setting out to specifically solve a problem, we get all sorts of interesting and hugely important innovations from people screwing around. Free scientific inquiry with no projected aim in sight has been responsible for many of the breakthroughs that make up our lives today.
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  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    Ok, I just realized that the survey is closed, its opened now *smacks self on head*.

    Basically, what i did was paint a bottle black, take mirrors and the sun, and use the energy of the sun (with the mirrors reflecting the light) to a point where the water inside the bottle evaporates (the water in the bottle is salt water). I collect the condensation which is clear water. If you want, I can type out my whole procedure, but its not the easiest to understand without explanations.

    The reason i came up with this idea was because i know countries like Sierra Leone are next to a body of salt water, not fresh water, and people cant drink salt water. Since the country is poor, they cant really afford a large desalination plant. Thats where this project comes in, a cheap, yet effective way of desalination.

    Too bad it didn't work out, this survey is just so i could prove that my way of thinking wasn't "stupid" and back me up on my mistakes (mainly though is because I wanted to try survey monkey and make it look like i did more work <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />)

    BTW, I didn't expect so much feedback from you guys, I'm happy that you guys took the time <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    That survey tickled me, it was pretty obvious which choices you wanted us to pick.

    There are much cheaper ways to de-salinate water. For example, the one every outdoorsmen should know: Digging a hole in the ground -> Putting water/urine/shredded vegetation in it -> spreading a piece of clear plastic over it and allowing the sun/green house effect to suck the moisture out of everything in the hole. The moisture gathers on the plastic, then flows down to the lowest point. Put some kind of cup under the lowest point to gather the condensation. You could buy alot of siran wrap and little plastic cups for the price of a few small mirrors.

    Also: the surface area of the water that is allowed to contact the open air is a much bigger deciding factor of evaporation rate then the heat of the water. You can try this yourself by taking a garden hose and putting it in concentrated blast and shooting it straight into the air and noting how much makes it back to the ground. Now put it on "spray" and do the same thing. Notice how much less water is hitting the ground when you use the spray setting? That's because all those droplets have much more surface area then one stream of water.
    The ambient humidity is also a huge factor on water evaporation rate.
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  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    Thanks for the advice Xyth, I hadn't thought of your example, its really creative and would be much more effective than my design (I think). Thanks to everyone who took the time to do it too (3 people so far)!

    This was more of a learning experience than a science fair, which is ok. I'm sure that I'm going to do one of the best in the class, because people haven't started theirs until today (its due tomorrow <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />). It was also the first time I made anything close to a survey (questions like "what is your favourite food?" are the closest thing since today). I also learnt that you need to plan far ahead when doing something like this, not thinking of negatives in advance can lead to trouble.

    The survey, bleh, I didn't think it would have much use or be very effective but i was mostly proved wrong (exception: i got a answer for the question "what is the <b>cheapest</b> and best method of desalination?" being nuclear power plant heating... <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wow.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":0" border="0" alt="wow.gif" /> ). I'm glad my survey tickled you tho, Xyth <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.

    The project itself is way to big to do it by myself, and I'm at the age of 14. I had one design that took into account the surface area thing but wasn't sturdy, i then changed it and forgot about the surface area fact etc. I had all the info on evaporation (what makes it effective) just I couldn't figure out a good design by myself.

    Anyway, from the 3 respondents i got, about 1/3 supports my way of thinking, 1/2 doesn't and the rest is just... weird (for lack of better words).

    I'll probably take a look at this project next year, I got a cool idea that transpiration from plants can be collected for fresh water, and your idea of the hole <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />.
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  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    what was your internationally acclaimed science project, Xyth?

    I was always one of the ones who started the day before it was due (at best)
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602652:date=Jan 29 2007, 01:40 PM:name=DiscoZombie)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DiscoZombie @ Jan 29 2007, 01:40 PM) [snapback]1602652[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    what was your internationally acclaimed science project, Xyth?

    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    <a href="http://www.sciserv.org/isef/results/grnd2006.pdf" target="_blank">Winners list</a>

    Just look under fourth place for physics category, Im "John Krause". My project was about coilguns. It was pretty cool (if I do say so myself).
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  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    very cool indeed. I had to wiki coilguns to figure out what they were. I still don't really know. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
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  • briktalbriktal Join Date: 2003-08-20 Member: 20021Members, Constellation
    Next time you should do something fun like squaring the circle.
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  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602750:date=Jan 30 2007, 02:41 AM:name=briktal)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(briktal @ Jan 30 2007, 02:41 AM) [snapback]1602750[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Next time you should do something fun like squaring the circle.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Don't get what you mean... but i guess my project doesn't make much sense either <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />
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  • briktalbriktal Join Date: 2003-08-20 Member: 20021Members, Constellation
    What I mean is given a circle, constructing a square of equal area using only a straightedge and a compass.
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  • LofungLofung Join Date: 2004-08-21 Member: 30757Members
    edited January 2007
    you mean deriving pi?

    -----

    i had done a similar project evaporating water with sun power only before in my year equivalent to grade 10. we had to use mirror or anything, except a parabolic convergent disc which has a high power and dangerous, to boil up water. the best record set is 1 hour in the noon to evaporate everything while most of the students could not succeed. i guess everyone would understand how boring and hot it is sitting under the summer sun in the damned noon doing nothing but watching the device...zz <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":angry:" border="0" alt="mad-fix.gif" />

    this project is really a bad idea.
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  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    <!--quoteo(post=1602853:date=Jan 30 2007, 05:34 PM:name=Lofung)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lofung @ Jan 30 2007, 05:34 PM) [snapback]1602853[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    parabolic convergent disc
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    If it's anything like a convex mirror, i thought of it (parabolic reminds me of convex <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/nerd-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="::nerdy::" border="0" alt="nerd-fix.gif" /> )


    <!--quoteo(post=1602853:date=Jan 30 2007, 05:34 PM:name=Lofung)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lofung @ Jan 30 2007, 05:34 PM) [snapback]1602853[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    this project is really a bad idea.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Yep, I second that all the way.


    -------------------

    Anyway, anyone got any ideas on a good project for next year (i got to do it yearly) for a grade 9 student? My Science Fair idea's are usually bad ones (last year was growing plants with coke <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> )
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  • XythXyth Avatar Join Date: 2003-11-04 Member: 22312Members
    Setup some kind of strong magnetic field around a plant, then see how it affects growth rate. Or perhaps run a small amount of electricty continually through a plant and see what happens.
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  • LofungLofung Join Date: 2004-08-21 Member: 30757Members
    now i got one really interesting done before but it maybe disliked by some people.
    Put a fish, big enough, into a tank of water. Adding a [little bit] acid may increase the effect. Get a source of high voltage but low current. link the source with wires and when people wanna see, dip the wires into water and the fish immediately goes up-side-down, like its dead. after few minutes, the fish wakes and swims again. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

    though it may look cruel
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  • ChocolateChocolate The Team Mascot Join Date: 2006-10-31 Member: 58123Members
    edited February 2007
    <!--quoteo(post=1602986:date=Jan 31 2007, 04:16 AM:name=Xyth)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Xyth @ Jan 31 2007, 04:16 AM) [snapback]1602986[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    Setup some kind of strong magnetic field around a plant, then see how it affects growth rate. Or perhaps run a small amount of electricty continually through a plant and see what happens.
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    Good ideas, I was thinking of that for this (now its last, I'm done <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> , teacher was happy too!), but decided on something different. Most things seemed to be done already, mine was a little special

    <!--quoteo(post=1603026:date=Jan 31 2007, 08:21 AM:name=Lofung)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Lofung @ Jan 31 2007, 08:21 AM) [snapback]1603026[/snapback]</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
    now i got one really interesting done before but it maybe disliked by some people.
    Put a fish, big enough, into a tank of water. Adding a [little bit] acid may increase the effect. Get a source of high voltage but low current. link the source with wires and when people wanna see, dip the wires into water and the fish immediately goes up-side-down, like its dead. after few minutes, the fish wakes and swims again. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />

    though it may look cruel
    <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

    I don't know if i could ever muster up the guts to do that. I like fish, I've had fish as pets all my life (hey, can't go wrong with low maintainance, more time for NS! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" /> ).


    I'm surprised people are still doing the survey (7 people now!) and this topic is still posted on. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" />. Next year I'll defiantly make a topic for ideas for a science fair, I always have trouble with science fair (especially getting idea's).
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  • DiscoZombieDiscoZombie Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
    no one mentioned the

    <i><u><!--coloro:red--><span style="color:red"><!--/coloro--><!--sizeo:6--><span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><b><a href="http://www.solardeathray.com/" target="_blank">SOLAR DEATH RAY</a></b><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc--></u></i>

    yet...
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