Expert: Sue Kayton Date: 2/1/2008 Subject: Science Fair Project
Question QUESTION: Hello there! I am an 8th grader. I have to do my science fair project on something that involves consumer chemistry... but i don't know what to do! I want to do something different. I know that my friends will be testing cleaners and gum and things like that. I was wondering if you could help me find an exciting, unique project... thank you for your help already!!!! ~^_______________^~
ANSWER: Here are some ideas
1. Which will dissolve the copper off a penny quicker, Coke or Pepsi? Since they both dissolve copper, why on Earth would you put this stuff in your stomach? Compare with grapefruit juice, apple juice, Gatorade, etc.
2. Does Clorox work better than store-brand bleach? If not, why do people pay extra money for it?
3. Taste-test fresh food versus its frozen equivalent. Or test-taste organic veggies against the pesticide-laden equivalent.
4. Make home-made cake frosting. Put strong food coloring in some of it to get an intense color, and leave the rest uncolored. (Use paste food coloring, not the liquid drops). Have your friends taste it blindfolded. Which tastes better, the colored or the uncolored? Have your friends characterize taste using adjectives. Bet you'll never eat colored frosting again!
5. Test Scotch brand tape against the El Cheapo store brand. Does one brand work better? Is one brand cheaper?
6. This one can be messy. Some people refill the inkjet cartridges for their computer printers. Try refilling a few. Is it worth the few bucks of savings? Did your refilled cartridge work right, or did it drip ink all over your new $30 pants and your mom's best tablecloth?
7. If you need more ideas, let me know. And let me know if you end up using one of these.
Have fun!
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: ok... i have decided to do the first one, Which will dissolve the copper off a
penny quicker, Coke or Pepsi? Since they both dissolve copper, why on Earth
would you put this stuff in your stomach? Compare with grapefruit juice,
apple juice, Gatorade, etc., but i have no idea how i can measure how much
copper was dissolved off the penny... i was planning to just take maybe seven
pennies of the same year of minting and put them in separate containers,
then apply maybe a teaspoon of liquid to each. i was trying to think of a way
to make sure that the pennies were almost equally dirty and how to measure
how much copper was dissolved but i have no clue. i tried to look up some
answers around on the internet but all i found was what can dissolve copper
off a penny to make it cleaner. please help!! THANK YOU ~^_______^~!!!
Answer You don't need to measure how much copper dissolves off a penny - just look at the color of it. Get a bunch of rusty dark brown pennies and see how long it takes them to turn shiny, as the rust is eaten away.
Or get a bunch of quarters or dimes which have a thin "silver" coating over a copper-colored center. See how long it takes to dissolves off the "silver".
You'll need a lot more than a teaspoon of soda to dissolve the stuff - and will have to change it once a day or so as the acid gets used up. Hope this helps
