TRIO Upward Bound Math Science
Center
1845 Fairmount, Box 156
Wichita, KS 67260-0156
(316) 978-3316
(800) 531-4984
Journal of
Research Projects
Volume 18  Summer 2014
JRP
The TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center is funded with $294,545 by the
U.S. Department of Education and hosted by Wichita State University. The Center also enjoys
support from the Kansas Board of Regents in the amount of $97,872.
The Center has been funded since 1991.
NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION: Wichita State University does not discriminate in its programs
and activities on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, age, sexual orientation,
marital status, political affiliation, status as a veteran or disability. The following person has been
designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Director, Office of Equal
Employment Opportunity, Wichita State University,1845 Fairmount, Wichita KS 67260-0205;
Telephone (316) 978-6791.
Page 104
A publication of the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas
Page 2
Page 103
THANKS
SPECIAL THANKS TO:
WSU Biology Department
WSU Chemistry Department
WSU Engineering Department
WSU Physics Department
WSU Office of Campus Recreation
TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center at
Wichita State University
Journal of Research Projects
Summer 2014
Volume 18
Consulting Editor
V. Kaye Monk-Morgan, Director
Project Editor
Karen Rogers, Curriculum Coordinator
Acknowledgments
The editors wish to thank the students, instructors, and
administrative staff of the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science
Center for their hard work and dedication. Without their
commitment to academic excellence, the creation of this journal
would not have been possible.
Publisher
TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center
Wichita State University, 1845 N. Fairmount, Campus Box 156
Wichita, KS 67260-0156
The UBMS Journal of Research Projects was inspired by the Research Journal of
the Morehouse College Summer Southwestern Regional Math & Science
Upward Bound Program.
Page 102
Page 3
Preface
The Upward Bound Math Science Center is federally funded and hosted by
Wichita State University (WSU) in Wichita, Kansas. With the support of WSU
and the cooperation of schools throughout Kansas, the program is designed to
serve seventy-four disadvantaged high school students who have the potential
to be the first in their family to attend college and earn a four year degree,
preferably in a science or mathematics field.
The curriculum of the “Galaxy Experience” is developed to provide students
with the opportunity for academic enrichment in a college setting. While living
on campus for six weeks, students attend a variety of classes located on the
WSU campus, specifically designed to expand their knowledge and stimulate
their interests. Classes simulate actual college courses that address topics that
are not usually taught at their high schools. Some of the courses offered in 2014
included: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Economics, Physics,
Anatomy & Physiology, Engineering, Forensic Science, Calculus, Italian, Public
Speaking and many more. Moreover, each student’s academic enrichment is
supplemented with cultural awareness activities, field trips, academic and
career counseling, guest speakers, and tutoring. UBMS students also have
access to Wichita State University’s computer, chemistry, physics, and
biological sciences labs, Ablah Library, and the Heskett Center for physical
fitness activities.
Date Accessed: July 11, 2014
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw-Lt9-WmTg
Website Title: Academia.edu
Article Title: Iodine Clock Reaction
Date Accessed: July 11, 2014
http://www.academia.edu/5141192/Iodine_Clock_Reaction
Website Title: Home Version of the Iodine Clock Reaction
Article Title: Home Version of the Iodine Clock Reaction
Date Accessed: July 11, 2014
http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/iodine_clock_reaction.php
Website Title: Academia.edu
Article Title: Chemical Kinetics: Iodine Clock Reaction
Date Accessed: July 11, 2014
http://www.academia.edu/5877024/Chemical_Kinetics_Iodine_Clock_Reaction
The crowning achievement of the students’ experience each summer is their
production and presentation of research projects. The projects are a
culmination of what each team has investigated, researched, experimented
and/or discovered during the six-week summer session. This journal serves as
a record and a celebration of the hard work and commitment put forth by the
students of the 2014 summer experience. Each project was presented at the
annual UBMS Research Symposium, and the written report is printed in this
journal in its original form, therefore allowing the talent and achievement of
our students to genuinely shine through.
TRIO UBMS Purpose Statement
“The purpose of the Upward Bound Math Science Center, the “Galaxy
Experience,” is to stimulate and advance interest in mathematics, science, and
computer technology, challenge students to perform to the best of their ability,
provide a unique residential, academic, exploratory, hands-on experience, and
encourage high school students to realistically consider the attainment of a
post-secondary degree in mathematics or the sciences.”
Page 4
Page 101
seconds. Not far behind was the cooled environment with 38.66 seconds for the
average reaction time. Finally, with a reaction time of 102 seconds was the environment with a lower concentration of solution A and B.
The reason for the heated environment having the fastest is the fact that when
molecules are heated they begin to move faster and faster. With the molecules moving so fast they begin to bounce off one another and cause the reaction to take place
quicker. With the catalyst environment, there were more molecules for the molecules reacting to bounce off of, so the reaction took place quicker. The reason the
reaction did not change with a new chemical added was the fact that catalyst cannot
be chemically changed unless there is enough energy to change them. In the iodine
clock reaction there is not enough energy to change Copper (II) sulfate or make it
react. The reason the cooled environment was slow was the fact that the molecules
moved at a slower rate causing the reaction to take place over a longer period of
time. The reason the cooler environment was not as big of an increase from the
control as the warmer environment was a decrease was the fact that the warm temperature was 40°C warmer while the cooler was only 10°C cooler. The reason for
the experiment with the least amount of concentration of the two solutions was the
fact that half of the solution was water and there was less molecules for molecules
to react to.
Conclusion
In conclusion our hypothesis that environmental conditions will affect the rate
at which a chemical reaction can take place, was proven. Our experiment shows
that anything in the environment that increased the movement of the molecules or
causes the molecules to bounce off one another at a faster rate, causes the reaction
to occur quicker. Anything that causes the movement of the molecules to slow or
the molecules to not be able to bounce off one another makes the reaction occur at a
slower rate.
Bibliography
Website Title: Wikipedia
Article Title: Iodine clock reaction
Publisher: Wikimedia Foundation
Electronically Published: May 21, 2014
Date Accessed: July 09, 2014
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodine_clock_reaction
Website Title: YouTube
Article Title: Iodine Clock Reaction
Publisher: YouTube
Page 100
TRIO UBMS Center Vision Statement:
We are a nationally recognized, intentionally-minded college access program
that prepares students for purposeful lives and meaningful careers. We are a
leader in empowering students to conscientiously impact the world in which
they live.
TRIO UBMS Center Mission Statement:
It is the mission of the TRIO Upward Bound Math Science Center to:
 Educate students with the propensity for study in STEM areas for postsecondary
 Stimulate and sustain interest in STEM careers, and
 Motivate low-income and potential first-generation college students to
realistically consider the attainment of a post-secondary degree.
TRIO UBMS Center Guiding Principles:
The following list of Principles (CD-DIP) were developed and adopted by the
2010 participants.
 Conscientious - I make informed decisions, and I accept responsibility for
the decisions I make.
 Dedicated - I strive for excellence in all aspects of my life.
 Discerning - I use my imagination, creativity, and my cognitive skills to set
and achieve my goals.
 Intentional - I use my given talents and skills to better my life and the lives
of others.
 Purposeful - I continually pursue personal success and development.
TRIO UBMS Center Guiding Principles (Staff):
UBMS staff members shall work to uphold and model the following principles:
 Staff will be conscientious with students and service provision,
understanding that their work can be life-changing for students when done
well.
 Staff will dedicate themselves to the concepts of continuous improvement
and constant evolution.
 Staff will strive to be discerning when evaluating student behaviors and
academic abilities, believing that every child can learn if we take the time
to teach them.
 Staff will plan and implement program services with intention, focused on
getting end results and meeting student needs.
 Staff will commit to helping each UBMS student and alumni find their
ultimate purpose, including, but not limited, to vocation.
Page 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Results/Discussion
Table
Preface………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4
TRIO UBMS Purpose Statement………………………………………………………………….4
TRIO UBMS Center Vision Statement:………………………………………………………...5
TRIO UBMS Center Mission Statement:………………………………………………………5
Environment
Control
Heated
Cooled
Catalyst
Less
Concentration
Experiment 1
34 secs.
9 secs
39 secs
15 secs
90 secs
Experiment 2
35 secs
8 secs
39 secs
17 secs
104 secs
Experiment 3
37 secs
10 secs
38 secs
16 secs
112 secs
35.33
secs
9 secs
38.66
secs
16 secs
102 secs
TRIO UBMS Center Guiding Principles……………………………………………………….5
TRIO UBMS Center Guiding Principles (Staff):…………………………………………...5
Average
SECTION ONE – Research Symposium Presentations………………..……………….9
The Aerodynamics of Paper Airplanes……..…………………………...……..…….10
Zerikhun Filatov, Moe Paw, Charles Sayer
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
Roller Coaster Physics…………………………………………………...……………..…….15
Shayla Bellamy, Dylan Harmon, Matthew Sen
Mentor: Devon Lockard, Physics
Eye See U - Testing Different Eye Color on Varying Light Levels.............20
Skyler Barnes, Mahalia Clemons, Tara Jackson, Fermina Orosco
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
Are You Lying?……………………………………..……………………………………………..27
Andie Burch, Silda Ramos, Theodora Thach
Mentor: Monica Gross, Forensic Science
Chemical Reactions…………………………..…………………………..……………….……30
Cristian Castro-Lopez, Alonso Romero
Mentor: Amanda Alliband, Chemistry
FIFA Affects South Africa…………………………………………………………………….34
Ashley Adebiyi, Angelica Delgado, Dursitu Hassen
Mentor: GuyFranck Kisangani, Economics
Page 6
Discussion
After the control and the four different environments were tested, the heated
had the fastest reaction time with an average time of nine seconds. The next fastest
was the environment with a catalyst, having an average of 16 seconds for the reaction to take place. Next was the control environment with an average time of 35.33
Page 99
44. Repeat steps 35-43 two more times
45. Find the average of the three times taken. This average is the cooler temperature average
46. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 50 mL of solution A and 50
mL of tap water into the beaker. This is now known as beaker A
47. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 50 mL of solution B and 50
mL of tap water into the beaker. This is now known as beaker B
48. Take beaker A and pour into beaker B. As soon at the two solutions touch
start the timer and stir the mixture of A and B with a spatula
49. Stop the timer as soon as the mixture changes tint. The tint could be brown
or blue
50. Write down the time it took for it to change tint
51. Clean out Beaker A and B
52. Repeat steps 46-51 two more times
53. Find the average of the three times taken. This average is the less concentrated average
54. Take one 500 mL beaker and put it on the balance
55. Zero out the balance with the beaker on it
56. With the balance zeroed, measure 0.2 grams of Copper (II) sulfate with a
spatula into the beaker
57. Now take the beaker with Copper (II) sulfate and pour 100 mL of solution
A. This is now known as beaker A
58. Now take the other 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution B. This
is now known as beaker B
59. Take beaker A and pour into beaker B. As soon at the two solutions touch
start the timer and stir the mixture of A and B with a spatula
60. Stop the timer as soon as the mixture changes tint. The tint could be brown
or blue
61. Write down the time it took for it to change tint
62. Clean out Beaker A and B
63. Repeat steps 54-63 two more times
64. Find the average of the three times taken. This average is the presence of a
catalyst average
Absorption of Substances Through Skin..…………………………………………..38
Ethan Caylor, Ron Lam, Zane Storlie
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
Battle of The Brands……………………...……………………………………………………47
Almanek (Nikki) Allums, Jessica Griffin, Payton Morgan
Mentor: GuyFranck Kisangani, Economics
Bullets vs. Books……………….…………………………………………………….…………..56
Cody Coonce, Jacolb Ice, Jayden Levine, Anthony Ruybal
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
1, 2, 3, React! The Effects of Coffee Brands on Response Time..………....58
Zainab Dafalla, Vanessa Gonzalez, Lilia Marquez
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
Measuring The Speed of Light Through Gelatin……...………………………………….63
Taylor Bishop, Gerald Frayre, Eduardo (Eddie) Ibarra, Veronica Nichols
Mentor: Devon Lockard, Physics
Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)…………………………...…………………………….69
Solomon Carroll, Shylee Johnson, Steven Robertson, Jr.
Mentor: Monica Gross, Forensic Science
SECTION TWO – Science Fair/Poster Boards Display…………………………………………77
Carbon Capsule Growth Project…………………....………………………………..…..78
Gabe Carroll, Cameron Morgan, Conner Ratliff
Mentor: David Trombold, Environmental Science
Cells’ Reaction to Environmental Changes………………...……………………….82
Anautica Bodney, Shenice Canady, Whitney Mayberry
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Attributes of Bottle Cars………………………………………………………...…………...84
Areonans Nelson, Jonathan Perez, Christopher Solis
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
Do Fingerprints Vary Between Ethnicity?…………………………………………..87
Jesus Corral, Armon Jones, Robert Kindred
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Page 98
Page 7
The Influence of Music on The Body……………………………….…………………..89
Tiffany Bass, Gloria Medina, Brenna Storlie
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
How do Different Colors of Light Affect a Plant’s Growth?...………………92
Devonta Jones, Jesus Manzano-Legarda, Miguel Marin-Segovia
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Iodine Clock Reaction…………….……………………………………………………...……94
Pedro Dominguez, Tatyana Hopkins, Kiley Moose
Mentor: Amanda Alliband, Chemistry
Page 8
the beaker. This is now known as beaker A
16. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution B into
the beaker. This is now known as beaker B
17. Take beaker A and pour into beaker B. As soon at the two solutions touch
start the timer and stir the mixture of A and B with a spatula
18. Stop the timer as soon as the mixture changes tint. The tint could be brown
or blue.
19. Write down the time it took for it to change tint
20. Clean out beaker A and B
21. Repeat steps 15-20 two more times
22. Find the average of the three times taken. This average is the control average.
23. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution A into
the beaker. This is now known as beaker A
24. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution B into
the beaker. This is now known as beaker B
25. Plug in the heat plate and turn it on
26. Place both Beaker A and B on the heat plate
27. Place the thermometers into both beaker A and B
28. Wait until they both are at 60°C then take them off the heat plate
29. Take beaker A and pour into beaker B. As soon at the two solutions touch
start the timer and stir the mixture of A and B with a spatula
30. Stop the timer as soon as the mixture changes tint. The tint could be brown
or blue.
31. Write down the time it took for it to change tint
32. Clean out Beaker A and B
33. Repeat steps 23-32 two more times
34. Find the average of the three times taken. This average is the Warmer temperature average.
35. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution A into
the beaker. This is now known as beaker A
36. Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution B into
the beaker. This is now known as beaker B
37. Place both beakers into the bucket of ice. Do not allow the ice to fall into
the beaker.
38. Place thermometers in both beaker A and B
39. Wait until they both are at 10°C then take them out of the bucket
40. Take beaker A and pour into beaker B. As soon at the two solutions touch
start the timer and stir the mixture of A and B with a spatula
41. Stop the timer as soon as the mixture changes tint. The tint could be brown
or blue.
42. Write down the time it took for it to change tint
43. Clean out Beaker A and B
Page 97
















15 grams of Starch (there will be left overs)
25 grams of citric acid (there will be left overs)
5 grams of Sodium Sulfite (there will be left overs)
1 gram of Copper (II) sulfate (there will be left over)
Thermometer
Bucket of Ice
Heat plate (large enough to hold two 500 mL beakers)
Balance (Scale able to read to the hundredth)
Available tap water
Spatulas (2)
Stopwatch
Safety goggles
Safety gloves
Paper
Pencil
Calculator
Section One:
Methods (Procedure)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Gather all listed materials
Take one 1000 mL beaker and put it on the balance
Zero out the balance with the beaker on it
With the balance zeroed, measure 4.3 grams of Sodium Iodate with a spatula into the beaker
Fill this beaker with 1000 mL of tap water. This beaker is now known as
solution A. If you end up needing more of solution A, repeat steps 2-5
Stir solution A with a spatula until the Sodium Iodate has dissolved then
set aside
With the other empty 1000 mL beaker, repeat step 2-3
With the balance zeroed, measure 1.3 grams of Sodium Sulfite with a new
spatula into the beaker
Keep the beaker on the balance and rebalance it
With the balance zeroed, measure 5 grams of Starch with the spatula into
the beaker
Keep the beaker on the balance and rebalance it
With the balance zeroed, measure 11.5 grams of Citric Acid with the spatula into the beaker
Fill this beaker with 1000 mL of tap water. This beaker is now known as
solution B. If you end up needing more of solution B repeat steps 7-13
Stir solution B with a spatula until the Sodium Sulfite, Starch and Citric
Acid has dissolved then set aside
Now take one of the 500 mL beakers and pour 100 mL of solution A into
Page 96
Research
um
i
s
o
p
m
y
S
2014
Page 9
The Aerodynamics of Paper Airplanes and
Optimal Design for Long Distance Gliding
By: Zerikhun Filatov, Moe Paw, Charles Sayer
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
Abstract
Paper airplanes, while simple and easy to make, can provide us with quite
an amount of insight into the workings of much larger production airplanes.
The forces acting on airplanes and their overall basic design is more or less the
same. As such, we can examine the qualities of paper gliders, and make certain
conclusions about the workings of airplane aerodynamics. In this experiment,
we tested the designs of six different models of paper gliders. There are
numerous variables when considering airplane construction, but the main one
we examined was how the aspect ratio (wingspan/fuselage length) affected
flight distance. Our hypothesis was a lower aspect ratio would correlate with
longer flight distance. After conducting the experiment, we found this to be
accurate to an extent, but there are too many confounding variables in this
study. While it's feasible to test all of these variables, or at least as many as
possible, this would require more time, and a more in-depth study of
aerodynamics.
Introduction
Metallic behemoths flying through the sky, airplanes confound many
people. How is it possible to heft a 50 ton machine through the air with any sort
of efficiency or control? While not going too far in depth, studying paper
airplanes and their flight can provide some insight to this mystery.
The principles that allow paper airplanes to fly are the same principles that
give industrial airplanes the ability of flight. This experiment will delve into
these principles and explore the basics of flight. But most importantly is the
main point of this experiment; how does the aspect ratio of a paper airplane
affect its flight distance? Our main hypothesis for this experiment is, "The
distance a paper airplane will fly will correlate negatively with the aspect ratio
of the design of the plane."
Background
There are four main forces that act on a flying object of any kind: drag, lift,
weight, and thrust. Drag is the force that the air exerts to oppose the movement
Page 10
The iodine clock reaction exists in several variations. In some variations, the
solution will repeatedly cycle from colorless to blue and back to colorless, until the
reagents are depleted. This reaction starts from a solution of hydrogen peroxide
with sulfuric acid. To this added solutions are mixed. The second reaction causes
the triiodide ion to be consumed much faster than it’s generated, and only a small
amount of triiodide is present in the dynamic equilibrium. Once the thiosulfate ion
has been exhausted, this reaction stops and the blue color caused by the triiodide
starch complex appears.
Problem
Does the environment of a chemical reaction effect the time it takes for the
reaction to take place?
Hypothesis
The condition of the environment in which a chemical reaction takes place will
affect the time it takes for a chemical reaction to take place.
Variables
Control
 20°C (room temperature)
 100 mL of both solution A and B
 No catalyst
Independent Variable
 Temperature (60°C and 10°C)
 Concentration of the mixtures (50 mL of Solutions A and B with 50 mL of
water)
 Presence of a Catalyst (0.2 grams of Copper (II) sulfate)
Dependent Variable
The time it takes for the chemical reaction to take place and the mixture to turn
blue.
Materials



2 1000 mL beakers
2 500 mL beakers
10 grams of Sodium Iodate (there will be left overs)
Page 95
Iodine Clock Reaction
By: Pedro Dominguez, Tatyana Hopkins, Kiley Moose
Mentor: Amanda Alliband, Chemistry
Abstract
Our science research team did the iodine clock reaction experiment, a chemical
reaction in which two different clear solutions are mixed together and produce a
blue tint, in order to test which different things in the environment would affect the
reaction rates of chemical reactions. We tested this by changing the temperature,
the concentration and adding a catalyst to the two solutions used in the iodine clock
reaction. In doing this, we caused the time for the reaction to occur to change. The
test results we collected showed that we not only decreased the time it took for the
reaction to take place, but also increased the time it took for the chemical reaction
to occur.
Introduction
Does the environment of a reaction affect the rate at which the chemicals react?
To answer this question, the iodine clock reaction was placed into four different
environments and the time it takes for the two mixtures to react and change color
was measured. The iodine clock reaction was first discovered by Hans Heinrich
Landolt in 1886, in which he discovered that placing two special mixtures together
would produce a blue tint.
One mixture is a simple mixture of 4.3 grams of Sodium Iodate in 1000 mL of
water while the other mixture is a combination of 1.3 grams of sodium sulfite, 5
grams of starch, and 11.5 grams of citric acid in 1000 mL of water. Within the test,
the independent variable is the environment in which the reaction took place. The
dependent variable is how long it takes for the two mixtures to react and change
color. Each one of the environments is known to affect things at the molecular level. The different environments the reaction was placed in included a much warmer
environment, a colder environment, an environment in which the mixtures were
less concentration, and finally an environment that contained a catalyst.
of an object through it. The more aerodynamic and streamlined the object, the
less drag it experiences, and as such requires less initial thrust to overcome
any possible resistance. The thrust is the forward force that acts on an object in
flight. For industrial planes, this force comes from the plane's engines. For the
paper airplane, this force comes from the person throwing the plane. Weight is
the force of gravity that pulls the airborne mass to the ground. Lift is the force
that is created by Bernoulli's principle that uses the air to push the plane
towards the area of relatively high velocity air. This is the force that allows
planes to stay aloft. When all four of these forces are in balance, the plane
becomes stable and flies.
With paper airplanes however, this balance is rather difficult to achieve,
since even the most minute error in the folding process can cause the plane to
lose stability. It is possible to correct this by adding lifers to the back of the
wings, adding a stabilizer tail to the back of the fuselage, folding the nose to
increase drag, etc. But these additions also require the utmost precision.
Another reason that these modifications will be kept to a minimum is to avoid
variability within the experiment, as the purpose of this experiment is to test
aspect ratio, not how modifications to a design affect flight.
Methods
We obtained 3 paper airplane designs using the Internet (sources in
references), and 3 designs from previous knowledge. We then used regular
typing paper (8.5 X 11 inches) to fold the planes, keeping the overall mass the
same by using all of the sheet to create the plane. We then tested the planes in
a parking lot, on a day with as little wind as possible, to avoid unnecessary
variability. We threw the planes from a set location and measured the distance
flown from the feet of the thrower to the point of impact of the nose of the
plane to the ground. We had 5 trials for each of the 6 airplanes, and recorded
the distance for each trial and the average distance flown for the trials. We then
compared the distance to the aspect ratio to determine the presence of a
correlation between the two.
Background
The iodine clock reaction is a classical chemical clock demonstration experiment to display chemical kinetics in action; it was discovered by Hans Heinrich
Landolt in 1886. Two colorless solutions are mixed and at first, there is no visible
reaction. After a short time delay, the liquid suddenly turns to a shade of dark blue.
Page 94
Page 11
one out of 9 seeds. For my hypothesis, this is bad because chloroplast are supposed
to absorb blue and red. Besides that, the results we got were expected.
Results
Design
1
Design
2
Design
3
Design
4
Design
5
Design
6
Our data we have is very miniscule due to the fact that the plants were very
small and the roots even smaller, for some of them.
Trial 1 (meters)
6.64
6.1
12.75
13.95
9.65
11.76
Trial 2
9.03
7.28
9.15
12
7.9
6.77
Trial 3
9.82
7.7
10.44
9.89
7.2
6.93
Trial 4
10.83
6.3
18.56
13.8
8.81
7.45
Our data showed that the one with the clear filter grew the most and was one of
the tallest. In 2nd place was the one with the blue filter. The data also showed that
the one with the green filter grew the tallest. This is because when the seedling
sprouted, it realized that it wasn’t getting energy (or not enough) that it thought
maybe something was shadowing over it. So it didn’t get energy because, remember that plants reflect off green, so its natural reaction was to overgrow the shadow,
that’s why it was the tallest. It was using all its energy to overgrow the shadow.
Trial 5
8.68
8.42
11.73
13.85
6.9
7.79
9
8.09
12.53
12.70
8.09
8.14
1.27
1.08
0.6
0.38
0.34
0.28
Average Distance
(Mean)
Aspect Ratio
Discussion
The main problem with this experiment is the inability, or perhaps the
difficulty, to control all of the variables within it. Ideally, this experiment would
be performed indoors, in a large open area, as opposed to outside, where
natural air currents can dramatically affect the flight of the plane. It is also ideal
to have the throwing speed, or initial thrust of the planes be as precise and
consistent as possible. We tried to be as consistent as possible, but a machine
specifically calibrated to launch paper airplanes is needed to be foolproof.
As mentioned before, it is also rather difficult to get the designs of the
planes exactly correct, and there are variables other than just aspect ratio that
factor into the distance flown by an airplane. One such factor is the build of the
plane; more specifically, the thickness of its wings, front relative to back, and
nose form and shape. The wing thickness is important because the shape of the
wing is crucial in determining how much lift a plane obtains. If the thickness of
the front is high relative to the back, then extra lift will be generated, and the
plane will either fly further, or somersault to the ground due to the lift forcing
it too far upwards. The opposite is also true, where a thin wing can affect the
plane’s flight.
Page 12
In the end, the plants with the clear filter grew the most and were the ones with
better health. What does this mean? This means we should stick to just planting
them in the sun. But there is a problem with that, especially for farmers, but it’s
easily solved with technology. Farmers can use high-powered white lights to grow
plants during the winter and other seasons that can’t be harvested.
My hypothesis for this was proven to be right in some cases. I still don’t know
why the ones with red light only grew one seedling. I shall research further during
my spare time and maybe it will be in the next experiment I conduct.
In conclusion, the experiment showed that the sun is essential for life. Either
way, if we used just blue light, the plant will eventually die because plants need all
colors of light to survive. The data proved that the ones with the clear filter is better
than any color filter to grow plants.
Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosynthesis
http://water.usgs.gov/edu/adhesion.html
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/plant-light-spectrum-growing-flowering-plants72801.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloroplast
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll
Page 93
How do Different Colors of Light Affect a Plant’s Growth?
By: Devonta Jones, Jesus Manzano-Legarda, Miguel Marin
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Upward Bound Math Science
Today we are going to present our experiment that we conducted this summer
with the U.B.M.S. program. Our experiment consists of two main things; photosynthesis and the different energies given off by different colors of light, and the effects of different colors of light on plant growth. For this experiment, we are going
to get three boxes with a rectangle cut out on top to place the color filters and only
let the assigned color in. There would be three pots inside with three seeds. There
would also be four different colors of light: red, green, blue, and clear. Why the
clear one? Because the clear one represents the sun. The question for these experiments was, “What colors of light would help the plants grow faster?”
My hypothesis on this experiment is that the lights with the shortest wave
lengths will grow the plant quicker due to the fact that shorter wave lengths have
more energy. Another thought of mine is that the blue and red light will grow the
plants faster because the chloroplast mainly absorbs blue and red light.
Our experiment had many steps, but when it comes down to it, it's pretty simple. One problem we faced is keeping the plant and soil moist without letting any
other colors shine on the plants beside the one it was actually assigned.
The way we solved this is by using the water’s cohesion and adhesion properties. Cohesion allows substances to withstand rupture when placed under stress
while adhesion is the attraction between water and other molecules. Cohesion holds
hydrogen bonds together to create surface tension on water. Since water is attracted
to other molecules, adhesive forces pull the water toward other molecules. Water is
transported in plants through both cohesive and adhesive forces; these forces pull
water and the dissolved minerals from the roots to the leaves and other parts of the
plant.
This helps us by keeping the water together and to the piece of cloth. This is
called capillary action. This states that if the adhesive actions between the liquid
and the substance overcomes the cohesion, it moves the water upward and will
keep the cloth moist.
It is difficult to test all these variables with paper airplanes, as the number
and quality of designs is limited. It would be necessary to create a model plane
from a different medium, such as wood or metal, to test all of these properly.
One thing that doesn't correlate with reality in this experiment is the
hypothesis itself. While aspect ratio is usually kept low for paper airplanes, at
least to a certain extent as demonstrated by the results, this is not always the
case for large scale, industrial airplanes. The reason for the low aspect ratio
trend of paper airplanes is due to the low structural integrity of paper. If the
wings of the plane were too large, they would not be able to handle the lift and
end up folding up in on themselves, or could not support their own weight, and
end up collapsing, with the type of problem varying from design to design.
For industrial aircrafts, crafted from aircraft grade aluminum, this stress
doesn't matter too much. In fact, many high speed jets incorporate high aspect
ratio wings to create lift. The reason we picked aspect ratio as the variable to
test is its general ease to vary and control, and the fact that it matters to the
designs of paper airplanes, which can't handle the stress that airplanes made of
a sturdier material can.
However, it can be seen that aspect ratio doesn't correlate perfectly with
average flight distance. The distance flown peaked between 0.6 and 0.38 aspect
ratio. Any further drops in the aspect ratio caused a drop in the planes total
distance. We believe this to be the case because, as mentioned earlier, aspect
ratio isn't the only variable, and as can be seen, likely isn't the most important.
There is also the fact that while it doesn't require much lift due to its low
mass, it still needs some lift to keep itself afloat, and too low of an aspect ratio
would not provide enough wing area to create this lift. What likely matters the
most is the overall design of the plane, with all structural variables taken into
account.
If one wanted to conduct a differing version of this experiment, one possibility
would be to pick one model of paper airplane and alter its wings to alter the aspect
ratio. This would ensure that the aspect ratio would be the only major variable
affecting the flight of the plane. This along with control over all the other variables
previously mentioned should result in optimal results.
A few days after we planted the seeds, we observed our results. The results we
got were expected with the exception of the red light. The red light only sprouted
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Page 13
References
http://www.funpaperairplanes.com
http://www.paperplane.org/Aerodynamics/paero.htm
http://www.paperairplaneshq.com/basic-aerodynamics.html
http://www.paperairplane.org/?fof=Y
http://www.arvinsguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/aero.pdf
Discussion
Overall, our experiment went really well. There were some different things we
could have done better. The room we were provided, while it was quiet, which was
what we asked for, had several distractions. We were given an Anatomy lab, with
intells and several interactive diagrams. Some of the participants played with the
model brains. We could have also gotten a private room. While we were conducting the experiment, several people came in and out and that could have been a factor with our participants’ concentration. We could have also started conducting the
experiment early so we could have the correct amount of time. Like we said in the
background section, the Mozart session helped the ICU patients with the amount of
sedative medication they needed. These results could be used to help treat patients
or at least help them in some shape or form. These results can definitely be used in
the real world setting.
Conclusion
Our hypothesis was that music affects a person’s heart rate, temperature and
blood pressure. Our results supported the hypothesis that we concluded. Because
heart rate results show that songs with faster tempos make your heart beat faster,
and songs with slower tempos make your heart beat slower. So in short, your heart
beats to the tempo of the music. According to the results, there wasn’t a pattern in
temperature. That means that music doesn’t really have an affect on a person’s
body temperature. Blood pressure goes up and down with heart rate. The only exception is hard rock, which presented a lower blood pressure. So yes, music does
appear to affect a person’s heart rate and blood pressure, but not the temperature.
Works Cited
Brookes, Linda. "Significant New Definitions, Publications, Risks, Benefits." Medscape 2005. Web 24 June 2014
Edelson, Ed. "Music Can Make the Heart Beat Faster." 23 June 2014. Web 24 June
2014
Holt, Betty. "Do Different Types of Music Affect the Heart Rate?" 16 August 2013.
Web 24 June 2014
Lautzenheiser, Tim and Michael Kumer. "How Music Affects Us." Berksmusic
1999. Web 24 June 2014
Roth, Erica. "Relationship Between Music and Heart Rate." 19 August 2013. Web
24 June 2014
Page 14
Page 91
Roller Coaster Physics
Methods and Materials
To conduct this experiment, we needed the following materials; thermometer,
music, ear buds, blood pressure tool, heart rate meter, people, and computers. We
took two people at a time into a quiet room. We had two different computers set up
with ear buds so that we could test two people at the same time.
By: Shayla Bellamy, Dylan Harmon, Matthew Sen
Mentor: Devon Lockard, Physics
My research group and I gathered six participants to conduct this experiment;
there were three boys and three girls with no specific ages. We took the first two
participants to the room we were given and proceeded to gather a baseline for each
of the dependent variables; heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature. Each
participant then proceeded to a computer we had set up for the each of them. Each
computer was set up with a set of ear buds and the playlist we used. They listened
to the first song which was played for two minutes and fifty seconds. After the song
was completed, they would then go back to the stations for the measure of the dependent variables. Each of these steps was repeated until all five of the songs were
completed. These steps were repeated for all six of the participants.
Abstract
Results
From the information that we collected, we have concluded that music does not
have a big affect on heart rate. The averages stayed closely the same. Although it
does not have a big affect on heart rate, it does affect the body temperature of a
person. It increased the blood pressure dramatically. The upper blood pressure was
not affected but the lower blood pressure was.
Upward Bound Math Science 2014
We tested the physics of roller coasters by creating a miniature roller coaster
using pool noodles and marbles. The design was basic with only an initial drop,
single loop and straight path to the end. Three checkpoints were at the end of the
drop: directly before the loop, directly after the loop, and near the end of the course.
At each checkpoint, we calculated the amount of acceleration, distance, timing,
velocity, and the amount of potential energy converting to kinetic energy.
Introduction
What causes a roller coaster to go up and go fast? Energy. The amount energy
the roller coaster has from the beginning to the end changes. Remember, energy
cannot be destroyed or made; it’s constantly changing. We’re calculating how
much kinetic energy is turning, from potential energy. Collecting 1.5 in. foam tube
insulation, we created a roller coaster course. For our main coaster, a marble. We
will set our marble on the highest point, 5 feet, and let it go with 0N acted upon it.
We will calculate how much energy is being changed by using functions we have
obtained in our research. We also settled out checkpoints to sum up the amount we
receive in the last turn to have an accurate result. We will be testing this 10 times,
but as a total of 30; due to changing the height of the course from three different
heights to see which will be the best use.
Background
The idea of roller coasters started in Russia when thrill seekers rode sleighs
down steep hills (Hogan 1). With the knowledge of energy already fresh in our
minds discoveries were made on how to be able to make objects continue down a
hill and not slow down but to be able to continue through a man-made course.
Kinetic and potential energies that are used in roller coasters and is also seen in
everything that moves in any way.
That is why these types of energy is so important. Cody Crane talks about
some of the scariest roller coasters that exist in today’s time, and how these coaster
push the limits on the laws of physics. Some of these coasters are too fast and wild
to comprehend. To be able to accelerate as quickly as some of these coasters do, the
ride relies on a launch system similar to those that fling fighter jets off aircraft
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Page 15
The Influence of Music on the Human Body
carriers (Crane 1). With all of the energy that is used in the beginning of the ride, it
is able to stay at a constant speed zooming throughout the entirety of the course.
Many roller coasters have been made to this day and all use the principles of kinetic
and potential energy. Energy also affects the passengers’ experience of the ride
depending on the different places that each passenger sits (Alberghi). As energy
changes, the experience a passenger gets changes. The potential energy affects the
front of the roller coaster and kinetic energy affects the back of the roller coaster.
By: Tiffany Bass, Gloria Medina, and Brenna Storlie
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Upward Bound Math Science
Hypothesis
Abstract
With a foam roller coaster course with the displacement area of 7ft, there is
enough gravitational potential energy in the marble, for the marble to transfer its
energy into kinetic energy, allowing it to go through the course with enough
energy. We chose this hypothesis because the displacement of 7 ft. is high enough
to give the roller coaster with a stable amount of energy. If we were to change the
height of the slope, then the amount of kinetic energy being lost will reduce.
We conducted an experiment to tell whether or not music affected the human
body. It was concluded that music increases the human body’s heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure. The hypothesis was confirmed with some additional interesting thoughts.
Methods and Procedures
The Digital Revolution is in full swing. There is always a square box in front
of someone’s face or the latest gadget being invented to make our lives easier. Music can now be downloaded to your phone, tablet, etc. in a matter of seconds. Does
anyone ever stop to wonder if all this technology whirling around us all at once has
an effect on the human body? For this experiment, our research group tested to see
if music could affect heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
We took pool noodles and cut them in half lengthwise by hand using a box
cutter. We then used a yardstick to measure the cut noodles to determine the length
of the roller coaster. Next, we used masking tape to hold the pieces together and
secure the roller coaster into place. The roller coaster was 19.9 feet long and had a
starting height of 7 feet. We calculated the amount of potential energy at the
starting point. Next, the marble was weighed (0.04 kg) and sent through the track
10 times. We then calculated the potential and kinetic energy of the marble at
different points in the track. The points where we calculated were at the starting
point of the course, the checkpoint that is set before the loop and after the loop, and
at the ending of the course. We averaged our data and determined how much
energy was being transformed from potential to kinetic energy. The time and
distance of the marble going through the track was what we used to calculate speed
and velocity.
Data
We calculated that the amount of potential energy at the starting point was the
potential energy (0.1064574 joules), then decreased at the 1st checkpoint
(0.003499), then stayed constant through the 2nd (0.0019992) and 3rd (0.001992)
checkpoints. Kinetic energy is increased by a huge amount from the starting point
towards checkpoint 1. But as the energy is being transferred, energy is also being
lost due to friction. The amount of friction lost is by a huge amount because of the
length between the two checkpoints, because of the length the marble had to travel
through and the loop that it had to encounter. But as for checkpoints 2 and 3,
Page 16
Introduction
Background
There were experiments done that were similar to the one that we conducted.
Mobile technology, Barry Franklin, the director of cardiac rehabilitation and exercise laboratories, commented on a group of Italian scientists who tested to see if
music affected the heart rate of twenty four volunteers in their mid-twenties. The
study they did was over music effects, respiration, and heart rate. They got twentyfour young women and men, half of the group was musically trained and half of
them were not trained in the music field.
The researchers’ study results showed that the heart rate and respiration strongly increased in those who had musical background. Dr. Conard did a similar experiment at Harvard Medical School. He used patients that were critically ill in ICU.
While the patients weren’t under the influence of medication, they listened to Mozart's piano sonatas for an hour long term. The patients’ heart rate, blood pressure,
stress hormones, and cytokines were measured before and after the experiment was
conducted. The results showed that they needed less of the sedative medication
after the Mozart term.
Page 89
Asian, Caucasian, and African American and took fingerprints of their right thumb.
Then we recorded the frequency of fingerprint markings.
The way we got the fingerprints is with inkpads, paper, and a pencil. We got all
of our supplies from Wal-Mart. When we selected our participants, we put ink on
the inkpad and waited five minutes for the ink to soak in. We had pieces of paper
and on each paper we had each race on one side. When the inkpad was ready, we
got fingerprints of each participant and placed their thumb on the side that had their
race. After we were done we recorded the results.
In the Hispanic group, four out of six of the people had linear loops. One out of
the six had a tented arch. The last one out of the six had a plain whorl. In the Asian
group, three out of six of them had a central pocket whorl. Two out of six of them
had ulnar loops. The last one out of six of the group had a plain whorl. In the Caucasian group, four out of six of the group had ulnar loops. Two out of six of the
group had a plain whorl. In the African American group, two out of six of them
had ulnar loops. One out of six of the group had a plain whorl. One out of six had a
tented arch. One out of six had a central pocket whorl. The last one out of the six
had a plain arch. These were the fingerprint frequencies of each race we tested.
We thought that each ethnicity would have a majority of one type of fingerprint. The Hispanic group and Caucasian group proved that our hypothesis was
right. Four people in the Hispanic group had an ulnar loop fingerprint. Four people
in the Caucasian group had ulnar loops. But the other two groups did not support
our hypothesis.
energy is losing at a low and constant rate, because no special events are occurring
except the conversion of energy. The differences between the two energies, is it has
different equations that we would have to use to calculate the change. Gravity can
be around -9.8 or 9.8 m/s2, each one will result in a dramatic loss of energy or gain.
Energy is either lost or transforming; energy cannot be destroyed or made.
Analysis
The gravitational potential energy is transformed into kinetic energy with the
knowledge of the velocity of the marble and outside factors of the course. Energy is
also being lost during the ride because of the factors such as, sound, vibration,
friction, etc. The velocity decreased throughout the course, as did the speed. The
potential energy is decreasing, kinetic energy is increasing. When friction occurs,
energy from the producer starts giving out energy like we do. From the sound of the
vibration which is created from the movement of the course. The only way that we
could fix this situation is to have a stronger tape to secure the roller coaster.
First, we calculated the amount of gravitational potential energy by taking the
mass, gravity, and height multiplied. Then we used Newton’s 2nd law that uses
force equal mass times acceleration. We calculated the amount of friction being lost
by knowing the amount of velocity, distance, and force acted upon it. Next we
subtracted the amount of kinetic and friction, combined, to potential energy to find
the remaining amount.
Results
2
Source Cited
http://www.forensic-medecine.info/fingerprints.html
http://www.odec.ca/projects/2004/fren4j0/public_html/fingerprint_patterns.htm
http://www.bxscience.edu/publications/forensics/articles/fingerprinting/r-fing01.htm
https://www.llnl.gov/str/Forensic.html
Page 88
We found the velocity for checkpoint 1 to be 5.35m/ s . The velocity then
decreased from 5.35m/s2 (Check Point 1) to 5.213m/s2 (Check Point 2). The final
velocity at checkpoint 3 was 4.89 m/s2. The amount of energy lost due to friction
was .0299648 joules at checkpoint 1, .0051948 joules at checkpoint 2, and .008208
joules at checkpoint 3. The total amount of energy lost due to friction was .0433676
joules.
The amount of energy lost due to friction was the highest at the first
checkpoint. This is because the speed of the marble was quicker and it had a longer
distance to travel than the other checkpoints. There was a loss of total energy from
checkpoint 1 to checkpoint 2 of .0299684 joules. This loss of energy is due to the
instability of the loop, which was between checkpoint 1 and checkpoint 2. Since the
loop shifted immensely when the marble went through it, the loss of energy was
great and rapid. The total amount of energy for the entire roller coaster was .360698
joules.
Page 17
Do Fingerprints Vary Between Ethnicity
Discussion
While creating the experiment, we encountered many limitations. The pool
noodles and the masking tape were very weak and unstable. This caused the roller
coaster to be less secure and to shake, resulting in an energy loss. The amount of
time also caused the experiment to be rushed, which could have resulted in
miscalculations. Some variables that we could change, if we were to redesign and
re-test the experiment, would be the shape of the coaster or to change the slope of
the initial drop to see if the marble would still have enough kinetic energy to
complete the loop. We could use a different material to construct the roller coaster
in order to reduce or possibly increase the friction to see how it would affect the
outcome.
A few elements that we could have performed better would be the securing of
the roller coaster to reduce shaking or moving and therefore reduce energy loss.
There might have been human error in the releasing of the marble, which could've
resulted in a quicker speed and conversion of energy. A way that this could have
been prevented would be to automate the releasing of the marble. There are many
ways that we could have improved the accuracy of this experiment.
Conclusion
The hypothesis has been shown to be correct. The marble had enough energy to
reach the bottom of the track successfully. To make this more accurate we could
have secured the roller coaster more to reduce shaking, or changed the slope of the
initial drop to see if the results would have changed. We could have also raised the
end of the roller coaster to see if the marble had enough kinetic energy left over to
complete the course.
Some of the limitations we had were the limited amount of time we had to do
our experiment, the instability of the pool noodles, the weakness of the tape, and
the human error involved in releasing the marble.
Appendix
Jesus Corral, Armon Jones, Robert Kindred
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Do fingerprints vary between ethnicity? That is the question we are going to
answer. Armon, Robert, and I believe that fingerprints do vary between ethnicity.
We are going to provide you with background information that we used to complete our experiment.
Fingerprints are the traces of the impressions from the friction ridges of any
part of the human finger. They form from pressure in a baby’s tiny, developing
fingers in the womb. No two people have been found with the same fingerprints.
This was just an idea of what fingerprints are and a little bit about them.
There are three main types of fingerprints which are arches, loops, and whorls.
Arches are found in about 5% of fingerprints encountered. The ridges run from one
side to the other of the pattern without making a backwards turn. Loops occur in
about 60% to 70% of fingerprints encountered. One or more of the ridges enters on
either side of the impression, re-curves, then touches or crosses the line running
from the delta to the core and terminates on or in the direction of the side where the
ridge or ridges entered. Whorls are seen in about 25% to 35% of fingerprints encountered. In a whorl, some of the ridges make a turn through at least one circuit.
This was a small description of the three main types of fingerprints.
There are many reasons why fingerprints are important. One big reason why
fingerprints are important is because they are used in investigating crimes. The
reason people can do that is because every fingerprint is unique as I said before.
There have never been two individuals with the same fingerprint. If we have a fingerprint of someone that has committed a crime, it will be easy to track them down
with our latest technology.
For example, if there was a robbery and there was a fingerprint found, the fingerprint will be scanned and matched to the individual that has that same fingerprint. This was just one reason why fingerprints are important and now we are going to talk about our experiment.
Methods
The question for our experiment is, “Do fingerprints vary between ethnicity?”
The way we tested this was by taking fingerprints of the different races here in the
Upward Bound Math Science program. We got six people that were Hispanic,
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Page 87
Results
Series 1 was water, series 2 was Diet Coke and Mentos, and series 3 was baking soda and vinegar.
Bibliography
Alberghi, Stefano, et al. "Is It More Thrilling To Ride at the Front or the Back of a
Roller Coaster?" Physics Teacher 45.9 (2007): 536-541. ERIC. Web. 24 June
2014.
Bibliography
Abel, John H., and Nancy Eisenmenger. "UCSB Science Line Sqtest." UCSB Science Line Sqtest. National Science Foundation, n.d. Web. 10 July 2014. <http://
scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=4147>.
Crane, Cody. "Scream machines: How Four of the World's Most Extreme Roller
Coasters Seem to Defy the Laws of Physics." Science World 2012: 12. General
OneFile. Web. 24 June 2014.
Hogan, Dan. "Fast Tracks." Current Science 83.16 (1998): 4. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 24 June 2014.
Bjorklund, Chad. "Potassium Benzoate." Livestrong. Demand Media, 16 Aug.
2013. Web. 17 June 2014. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/424346-what-ispotassium-benzoate/>.
Hoeven van der, Maria. "Unconventional Oil Revolution to Spread Beyond North
America by End of Decade." ProQuest Research Library. Targeted News Service, 17 June 2014. Web. 19 June 2014. <http://search.proquest.com/
docview/1536671472/53C65F64FE6E4A56PQ/1?accountid=15042 >
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Page 19
Eye See U – Testing Light Levels on Different Eye Colors
By: Skyler Barnes, Mahalia Clemons, Tara Jackson, Fermina Orosco
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
Abstract
Asking if eye color truly does affect vision quality in the dark could potentially
change how we approach eye-related activities in the future, such as driving or
corrective lenses. This experiment is specific to brown, blue, and green-eyed
individuals. We randomly selected fifteen people; five with green eyes, five with
brown, and five with blue. We had them read a Snellen eye chart to the best of their
ability - once in the light and once in a dim setting - and tallied their mistakes while
also recording if the individual had corrective lenses or if they had any eye-related
illnesses. Once the data was recorded and evaluated, it was determined that browneyed individuals could see better both in the light and in darkened environments.
Introduction
How do different eye colors react toward varying light levels? Eye color is
dependent upon a person’s genes or chromosomes that provide characteristics from
parent to offspring. Eye colors may vary from brown, to blue, to green or a mixture
of colors and iris patterns, such as “starbursts.” However, the colored part of the
eye, referred to as the iris, does not absorb the light. Light goes through the pupil
and is received in the photoreceptors in the retina and enables vision quality.
Melanin is a pigment found in the hair, skin, iris and retina of humans and animals.
Knowing this, eye color will be used as a quantitative representation of the
melanin in the retina, considering that the melanin levels cannot be accurately
represented in testing. Eye color and vision are not directly linked, therefore a
mediator must be used to determine if eye color truly does have an effect on one’s
vision.
Aging could be a factor that may affect eye color and vision. Melanin levels
decrease with age, which in turn affects the eye color and the retina’s
photoreceptors. Therefore, when age increases, vision quality and melanin levels
decrease, and in some cases eye color also lightens.
Therefore, there are two possibilities; there is only a relationship between eye
color and vision with the use of aging as a mediator, or there is a relationship
without the need of a mediator. Using testing in both light and dark, it is possible
that the concentration of melanin could explain which eye color performs
superiorly in varying light levels and how it affects vision quality with variables of
Page 20






1 Durable string (to hold down the 2-liter)
Mini Fruit Mentos
Baking Soda
Vinegar
Video camera
Stop Watch
All of these materials were used to help the project succeed and to turn into
what it did.
Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Gather Materials
Drink 2 of the 3 2-liter Diet Cokes
Build sturdy car base using the robotics kit
Fill one of the 2-liter bottles with water
Fill the second 2-liter bottle with vinegar
Place one of the three two liter bottles on the car base
Tie the 2-liter bottle down using durable string
Set down all 14 Gatorade caps one meter from each other going down an
inclined plane
9. Get video camera ready to film
10. (if it is the baking soda and vinegar or the Diet coke and Mentos add it)
11. Let bottle car go down the inclined plane and start the stopwatch
12. Repeat steps 6-11
Conclusion
After doing our experiment, we have concluded that our hypothesis was shown
to be false. The Diet Coke and Mentos car performed worse out of the three, going
only 2 meters and taking 14 seconds to get there. However, this was due to the fact
that the soda we used was flat and held no carbonation. The reaction between Diet
Coke and Mentos only uses carbonation that is already there, it doesn’t create any.
So seeing, as the soda had no carbonation it didn’t react well.
Water was second best out of the three. It went 6.13 meters in 21 seconds. Finally, the car that performed best was the baking soda and vinegar, which went
6.17 meters in 20 seconds. The reason this car worked was because, unlike the Diet
Coke and Mentos car, this one created its own carbon dioxide to propel itself forward.
Page 85
Attributes of Bottle Cars
By: Areonans Nelson, Jonathan Perez, Christopher Solis
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
Upward Bound Math Science
Wichita State University
July 11, 2014
Abstract
We made and tested three different bottle cars; each one was containing a different substance such as water, vinegar/baking soda, or Diet Coke/Mentos. We tested how having different ways to propel the vehicle would affect its results. As the
results said, we tested 3 different liquids that have their own reactions to different
substances. We measured how far each went and our group was surprised with the
results that were presented to us. We found that the one that performed the best was
the vinegar/baking soda car, and that the one that performed the worst was the Diet
Coke/Mentos car but it has the possibility to do the best if used correctly.
Introduction
In my group’s experiment, the question that was posed was, “What are effective substitutes for gasoline?” The substances that were used were water, Diet Coke
and Mentos, and baking soda with vinegar. The reason that my group chose these
substances is because they seemed the most interesting and the best candidates to
propel a 2-liter soda bottle forward with a good speed.
green, blue and brown eyes. Yet, discovering which eye color is prominent in the
dark is still to be determined, however considering that melanin affects eye color
and vision quality, it seems more likely that brown-eyed people will see better.
Background
The determining factor for eye color is genetics, but it is not determined by just
one gene, it’s controlled by many. Everybody receives an allele from both their
mother and their father and on that allele there is either the genetic coding for the
dominant trait or for the recessive trait. Brown eyes are the dominant trait and blue
eyes are the recessive trait.
About ninety percent of the world has brown eyes or some variant of brown,
and in some populations of the world, brown eyes is the only eye color, whereas
only about eight percent of the world has blue eyes. Blue eyes are more common in
populations in England, Ireland and northern Europe. In addition to brown and blue
eyes, there is the even less common eye color; green. Green eye coloring comes
from a trait that is recessive to the dominant brown trait but dominant to the
recessive blue trait. Only about two percent of the world has green eyes, and is
most common to the Icelandic population and those with Celtic or German ancestry
(Eye Doctor Guide).
The basic anterior structure of the eye is made up of the lens and the cornea
which are primarily used to focus light into the retina. The retina then contains
receptor cells called rods and cones. When stimulated by light the rods and cones
send signals to the brain that are then interpreted as vision (Miller II. R. E, et. al
1992). Cones are responsible for responding to bright-light conditions, whereas
rods are responsible for responding to low-intensity light (Sacek, V., 2006).
The control was a 2-liter bottle filled to the half way mark with water; the independent variables were the Diet Coke and Mentos, and the baking soda and vinegar. Our hypothesis was that the bottle car would go the furthest and in the shortest
amount of time with the Diet Coke and Mentos because of the stream that would
propel the bottle car forward. The materials are important to our project as well as
the actual experiment.
Aging has an effect on the amount of melanin over time. An enzyme that is
produced by the residue of lysosomal digestion has been found to basically eat at
the amount of melanin in the eye. Therefore eye coloring may become lighter and
may affect the quality of vision over time (Schmidt, S. Y., Peisch, R. D., 1986).
Materials
To perform this experiment, our group collected materials and created a plan to
answer the question of which eye color – or concentration of melanin levels –
perform better in two varying light levels; one being light and one being nearly
dark. We gathered tape, a measuring tape, a common Snellen eye chart, and a room
that could vary in light levels.
My group’s materials were made up of:
 3 2-liter diet coke bottles
 14 Gatorade bottle caps
 1 Robotics kit
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Methods and Materials
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For this experiment we gathered three groups of individuals; five with brown
eyes, five with green or hazel eyes, and five with blue eyes that were randomly
selected and not gender specific. The room we chose was a large classroom with a
light dimmer, which we set to 5 only on the front set of lights by the chalkboard.
We then set up our Snellen chart in the back of the classroom away from the
lights, which we positioned 4’ from the floor and taped it securely to a blank wall.
Then placing the measuring tape directly under the vision chart, we created a
distance of 20 feet. At that distance, we placed another horizontal piece of tape as a
marker for the participants to stand behind.
We then called individuals into the room one at a time and had them stand at
the tape. We asked each person if they wore corrective lenses and if they had any
eye-related illnesses. With the lights completely on, the participant then proceeded
to read off each letter out loud to the best of their ability, going to whichever line
they could see up to. We then recorded the line of which they stopped reading, and
how many letters they had incorrect. After this was done, a member of our group
switched off all lights other than the dimmed one, and the participants were to
immediately read the letters for a second time. We used the same process of
marking mistakes and counting lines. We then repeated the same procedure for
each participant at random.
Results
The outcomes for the experiment done in the light and in the dim light are
shown in graphs below:


Dry environment
Three Tubs
We got 4 little tubs of water; one with hot water, one with warm water, one
with cold water and room temperature water. We cut up the stem of a plant about
the same size and placed them into the different water temps, and we waited about
10 minutes. We looked at the dry plant stem under the microscope and we could
see the cell membrane pulled away from the cell wall because the cells insides
around the edges were pulled in a little bit.
After that, we looked at the hot watered one and it had really thick edges and
was darker because the cell wall was taking in more water than normal. Next, we
tested the cold water one which had expanded and gotten misshaped. It was more
round with some straight edges because water in the cells expand, because water
expands when it’s cold. Then we looked at the room temp under the microscope
and it was smaller in shape than all the other cells. But it was a normal poly size, a
standard polygon.
Our purpose of this project is because it is important to understand what takes
place around you and your surroundings. Just so you can be aware of what is taking
place around you. Just say if you were to water your plant one day and forget the
next. If you decide to water it the next day for the day before and that current day,
then that is like not even watering it at all. Just make sure to water your plant every
day. Just think of it as not drinking water for a whole day. Your body wouldn’t
function right, that is the same thing that you are doing to plants. Just do not forget
to water your plants each day. Another example is walking on the grass. If you
walk on the grass then the cells are dry. The result of dry cells was that the cell wall
separated from the cell membrane and was pulled away not getting any moisture.
So when you walk on the grass, you also kill it.
The problems we had with this experiment was that after 10 minutes the hot
water was changing into room temperature water, so we had to kind of rush the
experiment a little. We concluded that the cells would react to the environmental
changes. The plant cells will also look and react differently. The results that we
collected proved that they do react to the environment.
Sources Used
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/plantcell.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/~cmallery/150/unity/cell.text.htm
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Cells’ Reactions To Environment Changes
By: Anautica Bodney, Shenice Canady, Whitney Mayberry
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Biology
Research Project
07-11-14
The cell theory explains that all organisms include one or more cells and all
organisms are composed with at least a cell (Schleiden & Schwan, 1839). The cell
is the basic structure of a living organism. It contains a membrane, nucleus, and a
cytoplasm. The cytoplasm is like protoplasm in the living cell. A membrane is the
boundary of a boundary of an organism. A nucleus core of a living organism, it is
the structure of growth of the object and activity. Cells react depending on what
types of environmental conditions are occurring. A human cell, animal cell, and
plant cell have different characteristics and they are also set up differently. But in
this particular case, we are only talking about plant cells.
The Cell Theory is involved with Biology. We want to observe if cells will
interact with different type of environmental conditions. It will explain what type of
cells are active and which ones won’t be. Robert Hooke discovered cells in 1665.
Organisms respond to the environment so the cells should too. Environmental
conditions such as moisture and temperature of water will influence the activity of
cells by changing how they look and react. The way we plan to construct this experiment is to get plant cells, and test if any type of environmental conditions will
affect the plant cells. We believe that the hypothesis will be proven by the results
we collect.
Do environmental conditions such as moisture and temperature influence the
activity of cells? We hypothesize that, cells will react differently among the environmental conditions. We will test different animals and plant cells in different
moisture and temperature water to test our hypothesis.
Methods and Materials
 Plant Cells
 Microscope
 Slides & Slide Covers
 Room Temp. Water
 Hot Water
 Cold Water
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have the greatest effect on plant growth. If this is true, the farmers will be able to
grow more crops across the globe. This is also a good step forward in ending world
hunger.
Our project tested how to grow plants as efficiently and effectively as possible.
We created capsules with our provided materials. We measured our variables daily
and at the end of the week the last variable.
These graphs (above) represent the individual outcomes for each participant.
The bar colors are representative of the eye color and the number on the x-axis
represents one participant.
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HEIGHT
DAILY HEIGHT
During our experiment, my partners and I discovered a sweet spot with the
amount of carbon dioxide to improve the growth rate of plants. In our experiment
in between 0.00 and 0.15CC of carbon dioxide, there is an amount that will in theory have the best effect on plant growth. If this is true then we as humans can try to
reduce the use of greenhouse gasses and reduce global warming also in an effort to
help our plants grow.
Growing plants in this regard will not only have a positive effect on farmers
growing crops which will also help any nonprofit organization such as churches,
food drives, and homeless shelters. Our project has led on to more than just using
carbon dioxide to test the effects of plants, it brings humans a new hope to stopping
world hunger one step at a time.
The conclusion I’ve come to base on the research (our hypothesis was wrong,
too much carbon dioxide will kill the plant due to the immense amount of heat
trapped by the carbon dioxide) is that there is a healthy level of carbon dioxide that
should be maintained in the atmosphere.
These graphs (above) are the averages, which put the entirety of the individual
results together to be analyzed. To calculate these numbers, we assigned numbers
to all the letters on the Snellen chart. For example, the big E at the top would be 1,
and the next line would have two more. We then took the number of letters they
read all together, minus how many they read incorrectly. We recorded this number,
added it to the other four numbers in its category, and divided by 5 to come up with
an average. This was done in both the light and the dim settings for each eye color
tested.
The results show that brown eyes proved superior to the other two eye colors in
the light and dim environments, with an average of 29.6 correct in the light and 6.4
correct in the dark. Blue is a close second with the lights on with 28.4 correct and
4.2 correct in the dim setting. Green remains lower than both blue and brown with
24 correct in the light and 2.8 correct in the dim lighting. Even though the average
amount read correctly in the light is significantly higher than that in the dim setting,
it displays that each individual group truly does have the same vision quality in
both the light and the dim situations.
Discussion
I’ve come to form a new hypothesis. If there is a certain percentage of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere then crops will grow in abundance and global warming
will not be a problem. Our hypothesis was, if we put 1.5 grams of reacted baking
soda in a capsule then it will grow faster than the capsules with 0.15 grams and our
hypothesis was incorrect. Between 0.00 and 0.15CC there is a sweet spot that will
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Although the results supported the hypothesis, there are a few factors that
could have affected the experiment. For example, some participants leaned over the
20-foot mark, thereby allowing them to see the chart better, or the fact that all
participants might not have the same vision quality regardless of corrective lenses.
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These concerns however do lead to further study options.
Results
Forcing the participants to read to the last line regardless of comfort level
would allow for more distributed results for further evaluation and better
interpretation of the results. Finding participants with the same vision quality
would allow for the best results and would allow us to truly find out if eye color
does matter. Still, this is the first study of its kind, so there are many possibilities
that could render the same results.
This being the first experiment recorded of its kind, we have measured some
things that may have never been connected before, such as vision quality with
melanin concentration. Our experiment can contribute to future research in the way
that maybe some day genes can be altered for better vision or a certain color of eye.
TEMPRATURE
Conclusion
TEMPERATURE IN CAPSULE
This kind of research is important because we have yet to know our own
human bodies, and discoveries are still being made today. This information about
eyes can be vital to our future generations. Starting now could save us from starting
later.
DAILY TEMPERATURE
Works Cited
Miller II, R. E., & Tredici, T. J. (n.d.). The Eye and Night Vision. The Eye and
Night Vision. http://www.aoa.org/optometrists/tools-and-resources/clinicalcare-publications/aviation-vision/the-eye-and-night-vision?sso=y
Schmidt, S. Y., & Peisch, R. D. (n.d.). Melanin Concentration in Normal Human
Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
http://www.iovs.org/content/27/7/1063.full.pdf
The Genetics of Eye Color. (n.d.). Eye Color. http://www.eyedoctorguide.com/
eye_general/eye_color_genetics.html
PLANTS MASS
Sacek, V. (2006, July 14). 13.9. Eye spectral response. Eye spectral response.
http://www.telescope-optics.net/eye_spectral_response.htm
INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
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Carbon Capsule Growth Project
Are You Lying?
By: Gabe Carroll, Cameron Morgan, Conner Ratliff
Mentor: David Trombold, Environmental Science
By: Andie Burch, Theodora Thach, Silda Ramos
Mentor: Monica Gross, Forensic Science
Abstract
Upward Bound Math Science
Summer 2014
Carbon dioxide has many uses but poses a great threat to society. There is currently 0.004% of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and is on an incline. Other
greenhouses pose a supporting role that scientists are scared of as well.
Abstract
Introduction
For our project, you will all learn about how greenhouse and other carbon dioxide based pollutants harm the atmosphere. Pollution is the presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous
effects. We were curious to see the different effects carbon dioxide had on plants
and the environment. As a result of this, you will also learn about how carbon dioxide affects plant growth as well as temperature. The plants’ height and biomass will
also be measured.
Carbon dioxide is a gas that scientists are worried about increasing in the atmosphere. The current level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is 0.0004% and
increasing. Scientists have predicted that if this continues, global warming will continue to increase. Our project is going to show the effects of carbon dioxide on
plant growth.
Water vapor is also a greenhouse gas but it will be a control variable since its
level will be constant in each plant growing capsule. Our hypothesis is the plant
with the most Co2 in the capsule will have the greatest growth after one week of
experimenting. Carbon dioxide, like water vapor, traps heat and doesn’t quite have
the energy to get back out of our atmosphere. With the right amount of thermal
energy, carbon dioxide could be able to exit out of our atmosphere. The effects of
carbon dioxide can be catastrophic under the proper circumstances. Some examples
of these catastrophes are forest fires, plane fires and the ice caps melting. If any of
this sounds familiar you’d probably guessed it right, global warming.
Global warming is a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's
atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels
of carbon dioxide, water vapor, chlorofluorocarbons and other pollutants. Greenhouse gasses are the main source of carbon pollutant in the atmosphere.
Page 78
The research this report covers is over how lying affects blood pressure. It
appears that if a person lies, then there will be a rise in blood pressure. This group
came up with the idea for the experiment after seeing a documentary on a
polygraph machine and how it monitors blood pressure and heart rate to see if it
changes while the person answers questions to determine if they are lying. The
experiment was conducted in the quiet, slightly darkened computer lab in Fairmont
Towers. Six Upward Bound Math Science students volunteered to do the
experiment. After signing waivers, the participants were asked ten orienting
response questions while their blood pressure was being monitored. After that was
conducted, then we took another measurement of their blood pressure while they
were sitting still to get a controlled variable. For all the participants who answered
the questions and lied on their responses, it was observed that their blood pressure
had increased. The hypothesis was shown to be correct, if the participants lied then
their blood pressure did rise.
Introduction
Is it possible to detect a lie? Italian Criminologist, Cesare Lombroso, the father
of criminology, found out that blood pressure can be used to find out the
“distinction” of whether a person is lying or not. This led us to ask, “Can blood
pressure help us know if a person has lied?” Blood pressure measures your heart
while at rest and when it is contracting. So, when a person is stressed or nervous
their blood pressure increases.
Procedures
The experiment was conducted in the third floor computer lab of Fairmont
Towers. Six Upward Bound Math Science students volunteered. Out of those six,
three were female and three were male. The computer lab was quiet and the lights
were darkened. One at a time, the participants came into the computer lab and sat
down. The experiment was then explained to them and they signed a waiver. The
sphygmomanometer was placed on their wrist and was then turned on. As the
Page 27
sphygmomanometer ran, the students were asked ten orienting response questions.
After the questions, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure and pulse per
minute rate were recorded. After two minutes the systolic and diastolic blood
pressure and pulse per minute rate were checked and recorded again to gain a
control variable. While this was being conducted, the participants were asked to sit
still and be motionless. The experiment was repeated for all six participants.
Section Two:
Result
As a result of our experiment, our data has shown that our hypothesis is
correct. The participants’ blood pressure increased. When it increases they appear
to have told a lie on one of the questions we had them answer. In conclusion,
Cesare Lombroso was heading into the right direction for detecting lies. Detecting
lies is not as easy as it seems, but it’s one step closer to understanding how to
detect the deceiving person.
SCIENCE FAIR
Discussion
Possible errors could have occurred during the experiment. The
sphygmomanometer could have been used improperly. According to the
instructions on the apparatus, individuals are not supposed to talk or move while
blood pressure is being taken. The participants had to respond to questions during
the test. Also, the participants’ blood pressure and heart rate could have been
abnormal because of the testing environment. It should be noted, that the use of lie
detection tests are not completely accurate and will not hold up in a court of law.
Even though the experiment showed changes in blood pressure and heart rate,
it is not an effective method to determine someone’s guilt or innocence. So even
though it did work for this particular experiment, it does not work accurately
enough to be of use in law enforcement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our experiment showed that when someone has lied, their blood
pressure tends to increase. We still have to consider other factors in our
experiment, but use of a sphygmomanometer can be useful in initially detecting if
someone is lying.
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References
Gale, Anthony. The Polygraph Test: Lies, Truth, and Science. London: Sage
Publications in Association with the British Psychological Society, 1988. Print.
"Checking Your Blood Pressure at Home." WebMD. WebMD, 2014. Web. 02 July
2014.
"Blood Pressure Measurement." - Sphygmomanometers. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 July
2014.
"StoryCorps | Great Questions." StoryCorps | Great Questions. N.p., n.d. Web. 02
July 2014.
"Admissibility of Polygraph Tests in Court." Find a Lawyer. N.p., n.d. Web. 02
July 2014.
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Chemical Reactions
Works Cited
By: Cristian Castro-Lopez, Alonso Romero
Mentor: Amanda Alliband, Chemistry
Nunn, Samuel. Touch DNA collection versus Firearm fingerprinting: Comparing
Evidence, Production, and Identification Outcomes. Vol. 58. Journal of
Forensic Sciences, May 2013. 3 vols.
Student Research Project:
11 July 2014
What causes the colors in fireworks?
Today we will present about the chemical reactions and color, that happens
during fireworks.
Literature Review
Crime Museum. (2013). Retrieved July 7, 2014, from www.crimemuseum.org:
http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/fingerprints
Crime Museum. (2013). Retrieved July 7, 2014, from www.crimemuseum.org:
http://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/fingerprints
Stalder T, K. C. (2013, April 12). Retrieved July 7, 2014, from www.medindia.net:
http://www.medindia.net/patients/lifestyleandwellness/hairloss/latestpublication-and-research-on-hair-analysis.htm
Fireworks light up the night sky on Independence Day and have become as
much a part of the July 4th ritual as American flags and cookouts. But behind the
scenes, causing those dazzling explosions, is a combination of oxygen, metals and a
whole lot of innovation.
“Fireworks explosions begin at the molecular level,” according to Kenneth
Klabunde, distinguished professor of chemistry at Kansas State University. “Most
metals are reactive with oxygen, which means they have a tendency to oxidize
when exposed to air,” he said. During oxidation, heat is released. The hotter it gets,
the more reactive it becomes.
“When a large chunk of a metal is exposed to oxygen, the outer surface
oxidizes, protecting the inner metal from oxidation”, Klabunde said. To avoid this,
metals are ground into tiny particles to increase the rate of reaction before being
packed into the firework to separate the particles from oxygen. From there, it's all
left to the chemical reactions at the time of ignition.
"It lights, goes up in the air, causes the rocket to blow apart and throws the
metal into the air," Klabunde said. "When released, the metal particles start
oxidizing and get so hot they give off light."
In more common fireworks, such as firecrackers or ladyfingers, that just create
a flash of light and a loud pop, gunpowder comes into play. "You want it to
explode instantly, so you don't have time for air," Klabunde said.
“Gunpowder, which is made of flammable materials such as carbon or coal,
provides the needed oxygen for the oxidation of the metal particles,” he said. The
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not necessarily to see, but to collect and see. Because the original powder we used
was too thick it was incredibly difficult to properly lift the prints from the crime
scene. Thus, the group members had to redo the fingerprint section of the
experiment. The fingerprints of the suspects were replaced in their original
positions and properly collected and re-examined, and the tests revealed better
results than the original comparison.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our original hypothesis, “If we use fingerprinting to examine
evidence at a crime scene, then it will be much more accurate than other types of
examining methods such as hair analysis or intuition, because fingerprinting has
more circumstances in which it will be found,” was proven correct.
The original experiment did yield a few unexpected findings. A few things
noted were that some of our suspects’ fingerprints were smudged, mainly due to
human error. If this experiment were to be done again in the future, a few things
would have been done differently. The suspects would have been orientated on how
to properly put their prints down. When it came to picking up the prints, the group
would use a food coloring instead of powder to be able to better see the prints.
This experiment was a success, and showed that fingerprints on the murder
weapon are the best manner of evidence finding, but other types of evidence are
equally important in solving any crime.
molecules have excess oxygen and become unstable if heated or jarred. When the
fuse is lit, the molecules become unstable and give off oxygen that, in turn, reacts
with the small metal particles, resulting in an explosion. "You have two molecules
that thermodynamically want to react," Klabunde said. "You just have to jar them,
light a fuse or give them an electric shock."
Because the metals react with oxygen, fireworks lose their effectiveness when
stored over long periods of time. "Over time, oxygen from the air leaks in and
slowly causes degradation," Klabunde said. “To avoid this, fireworks are often
stored under nitrogen or argon before distribution,” he said.
But oxidation reactions occur in more than just fireworks -- they even occur in
the human body. When people breathe, the oxygen from the air is used for chemical
reactions in the body." We breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide," he
said. "We are oxidizing the food we eat."
Oxidation reactions are also what make TNT explode and the space shuttle
take off. "Our civilization has learned to handle compound materials quite well
even though we live in a sea of oxygen," Klabunde said.
Did you ever wonder what makes fireworks explode in a rainbow of colors?
The answer: metals. When a metal burns, it emits photons that we see as light.
Because different metals emit photons with different wave lengths as they burn,
each metal produces its own individual color of light.
So which metal makes which color?
 Red - Strontium and lithium
 Orange - Calcium
 Gold - Incandescence of iron, charcoal or lampblack
 Yellow - Sodium
 Electric White - Magnesium or aluminum
 Green - Barium plus a chlorine producer
 Blue - Copper plus a chlorine producer
 Purple - Strontium plus copper
 Silver - Aluminum, titanium or magnesium powder or flakes
These metals can't do it alone. Most are in compound forms when burning in
fireworks.
Problem
What causes the different colors in fireworks?
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Hypothesis
By using different kinds of metals such as calcium, or potassium, we will get a
chemical reaction that will cause energy (different colors).
This table (above) was used to narrow down the suspects even further and
provide a further demonstration of how we found the culprit. The hair found at the
scene was brown, so this table allowed the group members to narrow down the list
to either Suspect C or D.
Variables
 The independent variables: the different metal salts
 The dependent variables: the color of the flame depends on the metal
 The control variables: The same flagrating spoon used, The same burner
and position in the flame imparting the same amount of heat to each sample
Materials








2 Deflagration spoon
1 Propone torche
1 Solution of potassium
1 Solution of lithium
1 solution of barium
1 solution of strontium
1 solution of copper
1 solution of magnesium
Procedures
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Decide which metal salt will be used
Take Bunsen Burner and set it up at the correct temperature
Decide the right amount of metal salt that is going to be used
Take deflagration spoon to hold tight the metal salt
Expose metal salt to the fire and see how it gives off energy
Summary
Fireworks, are the result of excited electrons emitting energy as light when
they lose energy. We concluded that depending on the kind of metals we use is the
color we got. The amount of energy released, which depends on the element we
use, is characterized by a particular wave length of light. Higher energies
correspond to shorter wave length light, whose characteristic colors are located in
the violet/blue region of the visible spectrum.
Even though we are talking about chemical reactions, we also need to be aware
of the accidents that these metals can cause. Fireworks are used in so many
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This graph represents us narrowing the search for our suspect. Here we looked
for recurring hair colors taken from our suspects and then compared them with hair
found at the scene, which happened to be brown. Noticing that our victim had black
hair, we concluded that this murder couldn’t have been a suicide. We then
eliminated all other suspects (except our Brown haired suspects) and further went
into depth with examining them.
Results
Because suspect D's original fingerprint samples aligned perfectly with those
found at the crime scene we can conclude that it was her who committed the
murder. The use of hair was sufficient in narrowing down and eliminating multiple
suspects just based on color and length, but because not all the known samples
contained roots there was no DNA we could base our investigation on. So
fingerprinting became the most necessary form of evidence analysis.
Because no two people have matching fingerprints, after finding prints at the
crime scene, we compared those to the ones found on the murder weapon and
matched them up with suspect D. We did learn however that hair is much easier,
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celebrations that it is easy to forget that they are dangerous explosives. Every year
more than 8,000 people in the U.S. suffer injuries caused by the personal use of
fireworks. Half of the victims are children.
9. 1 Yardstick
10. 9 Sheets of Copy Paper
11. 1 Ink Pad
Methods
Conclusion
Our experiment is based upon an experimental design with a complex
multivariate solution. We created a faux murder crime scene containing 2 forms of
evidence: fingerprints and hair follicles.
The history of fireworks is an evolving process and there is certainly no shame
in progress. Since the dawn of time, man has depended on fire and his ability to
control it for survival. Although we have come a long way since our hunter days,
our ability to control fire, whether for survival or entertainment purposes, will
remain a hallmark of our human identity.
First we put up a sign-up sheet in the lobby area of the 3rd floor of Fairmount
North Towers to gather participants in helping with our crime scene. We had one
participant serve as the victim and seven other participants serve as the “suspects”,
having a total of 8 participants. After picking our participants, one member of our
group was designated to set up the “crime scene” and set roles and descriptions of
each suspect. Each suspect was given a motive as to why they would want to kill
our victim. The other two members of our group were unaware of who the killer
was, and were told to read the descriptions and make a guess on who they thought
the killer was based on said description. This was our first form of evidence
analysis: intuition.
After this, a group member (the same one who chose our killer) set up the
crime scene. To do that, the murderer was asked to lather their hands in lotion to
increase the visibility of their prints. The murderer was then asked to leave prints
on the sink, the back of the chair where the victim sat, the book of the victim, and
on the firearm that the murderer used to kill the victim.
Sources
http://www.sewanee.edu/chem/Chem&Art/Detail_Pages/ColorProjects_2004/
Waffa/Waffa.htm
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_ideas/
Phys_p058.shtml#background
http://article.wn.com/view/2014/07/04/
The_science_of_fireworks_explained_Chemical_reactions_at_100/
After entering the room and finding the body of our victim, our members had
taken fingerprints and hair samples from our suspects. We then had our other two
group members come in and search for evidence, which consisted of finding
evidence, taking pictures from the point of entry, setting markers, finding hair
samples and dusting for fingerprints. Afterwards, our members were told to
compare prints found at the scene to prints taken from the suspects. The members
also compared hair taken from the suspects to hair found at the scene to eventually
find the suspect responsible.
Data
Hair
Color
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Suspect
A
Suspect
B
Suspect
C
Suspect
D
Suspect
E
Suspect
F
Suspect
G
Suspect
H
Black
Black
Brown
Brown
Blonde
Black
Black
Black
Page 33
FIFA Affects South Africa
By: Ashley Adebiyi, Angelica Delgado, Dursitu Hassen
Mentor: GuyFranck Kisangani, Economics
Wichita State University
TRIO PROGRAMS
Upward Bound Math Science 2014
1845 Fairmount St, Wichita, KS 67260
Research Question
Which type of Forensic Evidence could best be used in a real world situation to
be able to find the perpetrator of the crime?
Hypothesis
If we use fingerprinting to examine evidence at a crime scene, then it will be
much more accurate than other types of examining methods such as hair analysis or
intuition, because fingerprinting has more circumstances in which it will be found.
Variables
Abstract
In 2010, the World Cup was held in South Africa for the first time. This study
was made to find the economic affects that the FIFA World Cup had on South
Africa. Information was found from research using online databases and scholarly
journals.
Introduction
Soccer, a beautiful sport, is played by 2 teams each with eleven players on the
field. It’s played by 250 million players in over 200 countries, making it the most
played sport in the world (Sporteology 2014).
Every four years FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) holds
the most watched sporting event in the world. “Estimated 715.1 million people
watched the final match of the 2006 FIFA World Cup held in Germany, and the
2010 event in South Africa was broadcast to 204 countries on 245 different
channels” (FIFA 2011).
Countries bid for the rights to host this amazing event, but what leads them to
spend billions of dollars to do so? What are the benefits of hosting the world cup?
Does in fact the World Cup affect a country’s economy positively? That is what
this study will find. Focusing on the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, this study
will research and try to find the gains and possible losses the World Cup brought
South Africa.
Hypothesis
The 2010 FIFA World Cup affected South Africa’s economy positively.
Page 34
Independent Variables
 The types of Forensic Evidence found at the crime scene
 Fingerprinting
 Hair analysis
 Intuition
Dependent Variables
 The effectiveness in methods of analysis of Forensic Evidence taken from
a real world example
 Accuracy of Forensic Evidence
 Which Forensic Evidence was more effective
Control Variables
 The Evidence
 The location
 Suspects
 Temperature
 Wind
 Materials Used to Analyze
Materials
1. 1 box of Gloves
2. 1 Compound Microscope
3. 1 container of Food Coloring
4. 1 bottle of lotion
5. 1 large package of Laffy Taffy (for participants)
6. 1 make up brush
7. Tape
8. Dark Colored Paper
Page 71
hair (curly or straight). Hair does not have many variations. Meaning two or more
people can have the similar to exact hair follicle. But the DNA in them is what
differs. But the only part of the hair that contains DNA is the root. This cannot
always be obtained from a crime scene.
Because Forensics is used for collecting evidence from a crime scene, for our
project we simulated a crime scene to determine what form of evidence collection
is most accurate. Our hypothesis is, using fingerprinting to examine a crime scene
provides a much more accurate approach compared to hair examination or intuition.
Background Information
Methods
Using the database Econlit, several scholarly journals were found on the World
Cup and South Africa’s economy. The variables being researched were stadium
revenue, hotel occupancy, airport rates and South Africa’s overall income.
The hotel occupancy before, during and after the World Cup was found and
graphed between the times June 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. Flight prices
were graphed between the times December 2009 to June 2010. Stadium revenue
was researched but there was not much information found so there was no way to
graph.
Forensic Science. It is one of the most abundantly seen science types in the
media, seen in shows such as C.S.I. and Law and Order, movies such as
Fingerprints, and many other books, comics, and shows. If one wanted to know
more of what it actually was, the definition of Forensics Science is, “any science
used for the purposes of the law, therefore providing impartial scientific evidence
in a court of law.”
Results
Throughout the last 23 centuries, one form or another of forensics science has
been used by humans to solve crimes, with one of the first cases of it being used
was the Chinese using fingerprinting (a form of forensics investigation methods) to
find criminals involved in burglaries. Forensic science has become one of the most
frequent tools used to help officers find criminals in more recent years, thanks to
the Locard Exchange Principle, which postulates that when any two items come
into contact, there will be an exchange of substances. This principle has allowed
forensic specialists to look for many different types of forensic evidence (things
such as fingerprinting, DNA or hair analysis, etc.), with fingerprinting becoming
the most used of all the forensic evidence.
Although the investments in the World Cup were huge, South Africa benefited
socially and economically. The tournament brought more than 309,000 visitors to
South Africa and generated more than $520 million dollars in added revenue (CNN
2010). Compared to the costs of hosting the cup, the direct economic benefits were
minimal, meaning they really didn’t make a huge difference immediately. But the
long term positive impact of the World Cup was pretty significant; tourism was
increased and they gained a lot of good publicity.
In 1858, Sir William James Herschel first used fingerprints for his contracts
with the natives of Jungipoor, India. Without thought on personal identification, he
had a local businessman, Rajyadhar Konai, impress his hand on a contract to scare
him into not backing out of the agreement. After this encounter, Herschel began
using this method on all of his other contracts with the natives, as they felt it was
more personal and he felt it was easier to do.
South Africa spent close to $5 billion dollars bidding to host the World Cup.
They spent close to 1 billion dollars in making 5 new stadiums and upgrading 5
older ones. South Africa’s annual revenues are around 75 billion dollars (African
Journal of Business and Economic Research 2011).
The World Cup also motivated the country to make improvements in their
public transportation system. 20,000 jobs were created because of the construction
of the 5 new stadiums and the renovation of the other 5 older ones (African Journal
of Business and Economic Research 2011).
Flight prices went extremely up, going all the way to 140,000 dollars. Hotel
occupancy didn’t go up as expected. The differences in hotel occupancy between
the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 weren’t significant. Hotel occupancy in
Durban actually went down then in other years.
After a while, Sir Herschel had noticed that each person had a unique
fingerprint special to themselves, and with little background in fingerprinting,
eventually started conducting research that led to being able to prove or disprove
someone’s identity.
Page 70
Page 35
Figure 1
Crime Scene Investigation
Shylee Johnson, Steven Robertson, Solomon Carroll
Mentor: Monica Gross, Forensic Science
Upward Bound Math Science
Wichita State University
July 11, 2014
Abstract
A research experiment comparing real world crime scene data collection
methods was conducted on the 3rd floor of Fairmount North Towers in July of
2014. The purpose of the experiment was to test which one of the data collection
methods of fingerprinting, hair analysis, and intuition were faster and more
efficient ways of finding a person possibly involved with a crime. The hypothesis,
“If we use fingerprinting to examine evidence at a crime scene, then it will be much
more accurate than other types of examining methods such as hair analysis or
intuition, because fingerprinting has more circumstances in which it will be found,”
was proven correct.
Figure 2
Introduction
The study of fingerprinting is dactylography, which is a key component in our
research, along with hair follicle analysis. There are multiple forms of fingerprint
patterns that a person could have. The three basic patterns are arch, whorl, and the
most common, loop. But no two people have the same fingerprints; they may have
the same pattern but never the same print. Not even identical twins will have the
same fingerprint, because fingerprints are created with friction ridges, which are
formed while in the womb and grow proportionally as the fetus grows.
There are three different forms of fingerprints: latent, patent, and plastic
fingerprints. Latent is a print left by sweat and oils and is invisible to the naked eye.
Patent is a visible print left behind, such as if one was to touch blood, grease, or
ink. The last form of fingerprint is plastic, which is a three-dimensional fingerprint
left behind, such as an impression on a bar of soap or wax.
Hair follicle analysis is another form of evidence collection. The study of hair
follicles is called a trichogram. All Hair shafts contain 3 components: cuticle,
cortex, and the medulla. The cuticle can be used to determine the species, whether
the hair is human or animal. The cortex is where the color pigments are located.
Lastly the medulla is a very complex piece, which is used to determine shape of
Page 36
Page 69
References
Bekefi, G. Barrett, A. H. (1987). Waves in Dielectrics: §6.5 in Electromagnetic
Vibrations, Waves, and Radiation. Physics Forum, pp. 426-440.
Chaplin.M.(2014). Water Structure and Science. Creative Commons Attribution.
Gómez-Guillén.M.C (December 2011). Food Hydrocolloids.Functional and
bioactive properties of collagen and gelatin from alternative sources: A review.
ScienceDirect. Volume 25, Issue 8, pp. 1813–1827
Discussion
There were many implications during the study. There were only a certain few
journals that could be relied on for information. So our data was limited. It was
found that finding a country’s exact income is difficult and an exact number was
not found. The reliability of the sources and data used could be questionable.
All articles read were very straight forward in how much money South Africa
had spent, but the exact amount of money made was not mentioned. All articles
stated that South Africa was positively affected but never specified on how.
Overall, there was a lack in data that caused the study to be incomplete.
Lalinský. J. (March 2014). Denser Mediums and The Speed of Light. Optics.
Conclusion
Nave, R. (2000). Doing It By The Numbers: Javascript Calculations in Web-Based
Instructional Material: Part of the HyperPhysics Project. HyperPhysics.
Smith, D. R. and Kroll, N. (2000). Negative Refractive Index in Left-Handed
Materials. Refraction of Light, 85, 2933-2936.
Tat.K.J.(2011). The Speed of Light in Gelatin. California State Science Fair.
The research done for this study has shown that the World Cup did affect
South Africa’s economy positively. Hotel occupancy didn’t go up as expected.
Flight prices went up. Stadium revenue and the country’s overall income were
difficult to find. Though the many implications in this study, the answer to the
ultimate question was found: How did the 2010 World Cup affect South Africa’s
economy? It affected South Africa positively.
Wagner, D. J. (1999). The Speed of Light and the Index of Refraction. Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, pp. 3-4.
Resources
Toews, Jacob C. "South Africa's World Cup – Blessing or Curse?" Weblog post.
South Africa's World Cup – Blessing or Curse? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 July 2014.
Dev, Boojihawon K. "The Economic Implications of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in
South Africa." African Journal of Business and Economic Research AJBER.
N.p., 2011. Web
Barr, Abigail. "Social Capital and Technical Information Flows in the Ghanaian
Manufacturing Sector." Oxford Economic Papers 52.3 (2000): 539-59. Aug.
2010. Web.
Bond, Patrick, and Eddie Cottle. "Chapter 2: Economic Promises and Pitfalls of
South Africa's World Cup." Academia.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 July 2014
Page 68
Page 37
The Absorption of Substances Through Skin
By: Ethan D. Caylor, Ron Lam, and Zane W. Storlie
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
Wichita State University
Upward Bound Math Science
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the ability of the skin to absorb
certain substances. The absorption of substances is performed by the skin’s
epidermis and is called the skin barrier function. We show the absorption of water,
a salt-water mixture, and oil into and through pig, chicken, and turkey skins. We do
this by placing the animal skins on top of a beaker then slowly pouring 5ml of the
experimental substance onto each skin. The skins are left for twenty-four hours and
then measurements are recorded and analyzed. Oil did not penetrate through the
skin. Water was found in the beaker. Skins dried out over the course of the
experiment, excluding the areas covered by substance. Oil and water may have
been absorbed by the skin. This research may be useful to dieticians, to
dermatologists, and to developers of new medicine.
Introduction
Take a look at yourself and what do you see? There is a fair chance that you
see the largest organ of your body: your skin. As simple as it may seem, your skin
plays a major role in your body. The skin holds together and protects the rest of the
organs in your body, as well as having a major contribution to homeostasis.
As great as this is, certain substances can and will be absorbed into and
through your skin. Common questions are: “What makes it through?” “What
happens to the things that do make it through?” and, “Should I be worried about all
of this?” An abundance of research has been conducted attempting to answer these
questions, and even more research to try to take advantage of this skin function.
Research on the functions and abilities of skin are relevant because many
people use make-up, medicine, and lotions on their skins and should be informed of
this skin function to get the most use out of their products. The research being
presented in this report was conducted to help researchers and the public gain a
further understanding of skin absorption.
Page 38
waves (Lalinský, 2014). Common belief backed by the success of dispersion theory
is that the relation j=cE is valid, where c is a constant dependent on the frequency
of the wave, j is current density and E is total macroscopic electric field (all
complex phasors).
Maxwell's equations then imply that the resulting wave in the medium will
have shorter wavelength, hence lower velocity (for certain interval of frequencies it
can have longer wavelength and higher velocity) (Bekefi, Barrett. 1987). Another
way to put this is that the simplest picture is that light always travels at the speed of
light. But in a material it travels at the speed of light until it hits an atom. It is then
absorbed and re-emitted in the same direction, which takes a small amount of time.
The more this happens, the slower the effective average speed. The denser the
material, the more atoms there are in the way (Lalinský , 2014).
As in most cases, studies or experiments, there were of course limitations
during the process. One of our limitations was the quality of the laser. The laser
was the major tool during our experiment and without it, it would have been
difficult to take any measurements. If we would have had a better quality of a laser
we would have a more accurate speed and visual perspective within our gelatin.
Another major factor that limited our quality and type of data was time.
Formulation studies like ours require enough time to calculate and gather
background information for a more in-depth knowledge of Snell's Law and The
Index of Refraction.
Conclusion
The purpose of our experiment was to show the differences of the speed of
light through simple gelatin. In our hypothesis, we stated that the speed of light
would change through gelatin, but specifically we hypothesized that the thicker the
gelatin, the slower the speed of light would travel. For this study, we used multiple
sources and formulas, specifically Snell’s Law.
In the end, we found that we had indeed correctly hypothesized our
experiment. Although there were many limitations, our group successfully
performed and completed the experiment by carefully following each step to
acquire the most accurate results.
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second trial measuring 38°. The angle of incidence for each of the trials was held at
a constant of 45°. By plugging in our data for each separate trial into the Snell’s
Law equation (n1=(sinθ2*n2)/sinθ1), we were able to find estimations of the speed
of light through the particular substance being tested.
The two “thicker gelatin” trials for the measurements of the speed of light,
averaged to be about 210,802,481.7 m/s, a difference of about 88,989,976.3 m/s
from the speed of light through a vacuum. Because the two “thinner gelatin” trials
both had a refracted angle of 20°, the speed of light ultimately was calculated and
found to be the same, thus having the same measurement and average of
224,731,977.5 m/s, a difference of about 75,060,480.5 m/s.
With these results, we came to the conclusion that we confirmed our
hypothesis correct. The light traveled slowest through the thickest gelatin, faster
through the thinner gelatin, and the fastest speed was the constant speed of light
through a vacuum, as we predicted.
Discussion
With the structural and chemical degradation of collagen, which is the main
component of connective tissue found in animals, gelatin is produced. Due to this
process, gelatin is classified as a derived protein. Like typical polymeric
substances, gelatin exhibits essentially the same common properties while it is in its
solid state (Gómez-Guillén, 2011). The properties and behaviors of gelatin are
influenced by many factors: temperature, acidity/basicity, ash content, method of
manufacture, thermal history, and concentration.
Going even more in depth about the physical and chemical properties of
gelatin, we will be statistically breaking things down. Obviously, we are aware of
gelatin’s absence of taste and odor (unless you have never had gelatin). However,
when we take a look at its 8-13 percent moisture as well as its density of 1.3 to 1.4,
we can see they correlate to its two most useful properties: gel strength and
viscosity. Viscosity simply refers to the gelatin’s thickness, stickiness, and semifluidness in consistency, due to internal friction. The viscosity in gelatin plays a
remarkable role in its wide molecular weight distribution. According to the Gelatin
Manufacturers Institute of American Handbook, when we observe the elemental
components of gelatin, we see that gelatin is composed of 50.5% Carbon, 6.8%
Hydrogen, 17.5% Nitrogen, and 25.2% Oxygen (Chaplin, 2014).
All of the properties from the gelatin help change the direction and speed of
light passing through the gelatin. The reasoning behind why speed changes
depending on a medium is quite simple (Tat, 2000).This is quite a subtle issue. The
more charges medium has in unit volume, the more it produces secondary EM
Page 66
Background Information
Humans have three layers of skin: the epidermis is the outermost layer, the
dermis is the middle layer, and the hypodermis is the innermost layer. The
epidermis protects from environmental factors, such as disease, sunlight, and
temperature. The dermis is the location of the majority of the skin’s functions. The
dermis contains hair follicles, sweat glands, veins, various nerves, and muscles. The
dermis is responsible for sensing impact, sensing texture, and maintaining
homeostasis, among other functions. The hypodermis contains fibroblasts, adipose
cells, and macrophages. The hypodermis is mainly responsible for fat storage.
The focus of our experiment is the epidermis. The epidermis has a skin barrier
function. (Williams, 2014) The skin barrier function prevents the body from
becoming flooded with water and also prevents the body from drying out (Denda,
2000, p. 227). Not only does the skin barrier function maintain liquid content of the
body and protect from environmental factors, but it also allows for external matter
to enter the body. This part of the skin barrier function allows for the absorption of
medicine through the skin as a treatment option. In this experiment we will test the
epidermis’ ability to absorb various substances.
Materials and Methods
To perform our experiment and answer our questions, we required certain
materials. Careful measurements and calculations also needed to be made. Our
materials were as follows:








27 - 250 milliliter beakers
1 - graduated cylinder
9 - 5”x5” chicken skins
9 - 5”x5” turkey skins
9 - 5”x5” pork skins
45 milliliters of pure water
45 milliliters of vegetable oil
45 milliliters of saltwater (5:3 water:salt ratio) (brine)
We made several calculations to make the results easier to interpret during the
data analysis stages. We took two direct measurements, and those measurements
were subtracted from the total amount of substance used (5 ml of substance per
test) to calculate the amount of unaccounted for substance as our third
measurement. The averages of three trials were taken and used in our charts. The
average percent of total was also calculated for each measurement.
Page 39
Procedures
 9 groups of beakers with 3 trials each (Figure 1)
 3 skin (epidermis) types and 3 substances
 Pig, chicken, and turkey skin
 Control (water), oil, and saltwater (5:3 water:salt ratio) (brine)
 Pour 5 mL of each substance on one of each type of skin
 Wait 24 hours
 Measure substance remaining on skin and in the beaker
Results
We returned to the experiment twenty-four hours after beginning the
experiment to record our results. We found that there were some visible changes in
the skins (Figures 2-4). The skins had lost moisture and dried out in all areas
excluding the locations where the substances were present. There was obvious
discoloration and deformation where the substances were. The discoloration was
very apparent with the control groups and with the saltwater groups. The area of the
skins where the substances were present also happened to be slightly thicker, much
softer, and had sagged overnight.
Quantitative data was recorded. We measured the amount of substance
remaining on top of the skins and the amount of substance in the beaker. Then the
unaccounted substances were calculated along with averages and percents for each
of these measurements.
Table 1 shows the amount of substance remaining on the skins. Table 2 shows
the amount of substance found in the beakers. Table 3 shows the amount of
unaccounted substances. Chart 1 corresponds to Table 1, Chart 2 corresponds to
Table 2, and Chart 3 corresponds to Table 3.
Discussion
Although our research was a quantitative study, we still feel responsible to
report discoloration and deformation of the epidermis. The discoloration happened
all over the skin. We attribute the discoloration of the dried skin to the loss of liquid
and death of skin cells, and the discoloration of the skin with substance on it to
saturation of skin by the substance. You may also have noticed that most of the oil
remained pooled on top of the skin. This is because oil didn’t penetrate through the
skin and because oil doesn’t evaporate quickly at room temperature. We also would
like to suggest that the unaccounted for water and water mixtures may have
evaporated and been absorbed by the skin.
Page 40
of using one cup of boiling water and one cup of cold water, ½ of a cup of boiling
water and ½ of a cup of cold water were mixed with the gelatin. This mixture was
poured into a container, and this process was also repeated once more, again
allowing us to have two possible trials (labeled “thicker, [1]/[2]”). The four
containers were then refrigerated overnight.
Next, we placed the laser pointer at an angle of 45° to the plastic container and
marked the direction of the laser pointer. We then used the protractor to determine
the angle between the “normal” (an imaginary line running perpendicular) from the
plastic container and the direction of the laser beam and recorded the data. The next
measurement we found was the angle between the normal and the laser beam inside
the gelatin. The two angles were different, as expected.
Finding the index of refraction for the gelatin was the most time consuming
part of the experiment. In order to properly calculate this measurement, we had to
use “Snell’s Law” which is the equation: (sinθ1/sinθ2)=(n2/n1). More commonly,
the equation is rewritten as sinθ1*n1=sinθ2*n2. The left side representing the
“incident side” and the right side representing the “refracted side.” The “n”
represents the index of refraction, the speed of light in vacuum divided by the speed
of light in a particular medium (Nave, 2000), in our case, gelatin. The index of
refraction for air is 1.000293. This means that the speed of light in air is very close
to the speed in vacuum (Wagner, 1999, 3), so the speed of light through air is
commonly represented as the speed of light through a vacuum.
We rearranged Snell’s Law once again to set the equation equal to n1, which is
the index of refraction for the gelatin or the “unknown.” So, we used the equation
the n1=(sinθ2*n2)/sinθ1. Sinθ1 represents the angle between the normal and the
beam in the gelatin (angle of refraction), and sinθ2 represents the normal and the
beam where it enters the container (angle of incidence).
The index of refraction for air is represented by n2.Using the values we
recorded earlier in our procedure, we were able to calculate what the index of
refraction was for the particular gelatin being tested. Finally, we divided the speed
of light in a vacuum by the index of refraction for gelatin to determine the speed of
light through the gelatin. We repeated this procedure with each of the four
containers of gelatin and compared our data to the constant speed of light through a
vacuum.
Results
We first found our angles of refractions by our measurements from the
protractor. The “thinner” gelatins’ angles of refraction both measured 20°. The
“thicker” gelatins’ angles of refraction resulted in one trial measuring 36°, and the
Page 65
substance. We formed the hypothesis that the speed of light would change through
gelatin. Specifically, we hypothesized that the light would travel slowest through
the thickest gel, faster through a thinner gelatin, and the fastest speed would be the
constant speed of light through a vacuum. We were able to measure the speed of
light through gelatin. The beauty of this study lies in how we can verify one of the
most basic laws of optics, experimentally, by using readily available and
inexpensive materials.
Methods
Materials
For preparation of our experiment, we needed four labeled plastic containers,
water, and packages of Knox gelatin. We used four packages of clear, unflavored
gelatin to create four different trials, and the containers were used for storing our
gelatin. We used one packet for each container. The gelatin had to be clear so that
we could see the laser beam and measure as accurately as possible.
Two of the four containers would have the gelatin mix made with more water
than the other two containers. This was done so that we would have two “thinner”
gelatin trials and two “thicker” gelatin trials. We also acquired a laser pointer to use
as our source of light and a mounting device to use as a foundation to keep the laser
as stable as possible, for easier and more accurate measurements.
Finally, in order to measure our angles with precision and accuracy, we used a
protractor to measure the angles and a sheet of paper to label and create an image of
what we had done.
Procedure
The first step to any experiment is the process of gathering materials, which
were listed and described previously. Next, for preparation of our actual
experiment, we had to create two different “types” of gelatin to compare the speed
of light through each type. The first type of gelatin that we synthesized was made
by boiling one cup of water and turning off the heat to add one package of gelatin.
Next, the combination was mixed together and one cup of cold water was added.
After being mixed thoroughly a second time, the mixture was poured into a
container. This exact process was repeated once more, allowing us to have two
equally “thick” gelatins and two possible trials for this type of gelatin (labeled
“thinner [1]/[2]”).
After the first type of gelatin was made, we followed the same procedure for
the second type of gelatin, with the exception of the amount of water used. Instead
Page 64
We would like to have weighed the skins to be able to come to a conclusion on
the amount of each substance absorbed by the skin, but the scales were not
working. The rest of the skin had dried up, so we also would have had nothing to
compare masses with because the non-dried out skin would have liquid throughout
the skin still. The sagging of the skin may be due to the weight of the substance
pressing down on the skin for an extended period of time.
Conclusion
The water and water mixture was absorbed by the skin and through the skin.
We are able to claim that the skin absorbed the oil because oil will not evaporate in
such large amounts over such a short period of time at room temperature. The
water may have been absorbed through the skin because the skin’s function is to
prevent the body from drying out and the skin continued to attempt to prevent the
body from drying out. The skin also appeared as if it were trying to distribute water
across itself, but was unable to get more than about three millimeters from the pool.
Real-Life Applications
This experiment has real-life applications. This research provides information
about the skin barrier function and could help with developments in medicine, skin
treatment, and diet. Some possible applications this research could provide in the
field of medicine could include the absorbability of medicine into the skins of
humans and animals. This research could aid in the ability of individuals to treat
and maintain their skin and to get the best use from skin care products, such as
lotions, creams, and washes. This research may be useful for people that are
interested in cooking and in making their food tastier, juicier, and healthier by
providing information about the skin barrier function and its ability to absorb
waters, oils, and other substances.
Future Studies
There are several ways to improve the results shown by our experiment. We
have some suggestions: use fresher skin, have a better controlled environment,
check the experiment at certain intervals of time, use more substances and skins
from different animals, and use enough skin to conduct multiple trials. Using
fresher skins would provide for one to accurately measure the abilities of the skin
barrier function because the skin’s cells would still be alive.
If one could keep the skin from drying out without affecting the results of the
experiment, then we encourage them to do so. A better controlled environment
would probably be more humid to prevent the skin from drying out.
Page 41
We also suggest checking the experiment at one hour intervals. We were
unable to record measurements at one hour intervals due to busy schedules during
the experiment. More substances would allow us to see the ability of the skin
barrier function against multiple substances and concentration of substances. It is
also suggested that one use more skin types to test the skin barrier functions of
different animals. We were unable to achieve some of these due to oversight and
time restraints.
Taylor Bishop, Gerald Frayre, Eduardo Ibarra, and Veronica Nichols
Mentor: Devon Lockard, Physics
Appendix
Abstract
Figure 1
Figure 2
Measuring the Speed of Light Through Gelatin
Upward Bound Math Science
Wichita State University
July 11, 2014
The purpose of our experiment was to show the differences of the speed of
light through simple gelatin. We formed the hypothesis that the speed of light
would change through gelatin. Specifically, we hypothesized that the light would
travel slowest through the thickest gel, faster through a thinner gelatin, and the
fastest speed would be the constant speed of light through a vacuum which is 3.00
x 108 m/s. This experiment included the use of Snell’s Law as well as the Index of
Refraction, as it is applied to the gelatin. The speed of light can easily be
manipulated depending on the environmental factors or what the light hits and/or
goes through. The controls of our experiment were the angles at which the gelatin
was positioned (angle of incidence), the type of laser used, and the speed of light in
air or a vacuum. The independent variable in our experiment was the ratio of the
gelatin mix to water, or the composition of gelatin. The ratio was altered in order to
see the difference in each refraction, meaning we prepared one type of gelatin with
less water than the next type, making that gel thicker. Our exact methods will be
explained later in the paper. Lastly, we will highlight the types of conditions the
gelatin might have been expressing by explaining different physical and chemical
properties of the gelatin.
Measuring the Speed of Light Through Gelatin
In a perfect world, light travels in a straight line at a constant speed of around
3.00 x 108 m/s. However, this may change when light hits an object, changing the
angle of refraction and the speed at which the light will travel through that object.
The “Law of Refraction,” which is also known as “Snell's Law,” actually applies to
everyday life. For example, before you answer the door and see your friend's face
through the window, you see light that is refracted through the glass. Snell's Law
compactly describes what happens to the trajectory of a beam of light as it passes
from one medium, such as air, to another, such as glass (Nave, 2000).
We selected clear, non-flavor gelatin to be our medium, for the simple fact that
it can be easily manipulated and it would allow us to see the light pass through the
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Although as the results showed, moderation is key. This is because the Folgers
coffee had the least amount of caffeine (95 mg) but provided for the quickest
response time. Less is usually better because your body will be better able to
overcome the small amount of caffeine that is blocking your receptors.
Figure 3
References
Mental performance. (n.d.). Coffee and Health. Retrieved July 9, 2014
Figure 4
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Table 1
Table 2
seconds as well. This shows that the water group had no change and stayed
constant with their reaction time, unlike the coffee group.
However, if all of the groups were averaged together by their times, this would
represent the control group. The control group average reaction time was 0.1895
seconds. The only category significantly close to the control group is the water
group with 0.187 seconds. That’s a difference of 0.0025 seconds. The overall
average of coffee is 0.174 seconds. This suggests that those who drink at least 8 oz.
of coffee had a faster response time, than those who didn’t drink coffee. Therefore,
our hypothesis was supported by our data.
Discussion
Table 3
The data collected showed that the caffeine in all three coffees did affect the
response time of all 12 of the participants. Even more so, the response time
changed between the coffee brands. The coffee brand that gave the fastest response
time between all three coffee groups was Folgers Breakfast Blend. This was
surprising to the entire group because out of the three coffees, Folgers had the least
amount of caffeine per 8 fluid ounces. Folgers contained 95 mg of caffeine in a 8fluid ounce cup. We expected to find that the coffees with the most milligrams of
caffeine per cup would give quicker response times. Although this wasn’t the case
with our experiment, there is an explanation as to how this works and this can be
found in the brain.
Chart 1
Caffeine acts as a neurotransmitter making nerve impulses fire faster
throughout the body. This makes the information traveling throughout the body and
to the brain travel faster than normal rates. As documented in the results, the
average response time of participants who were tested before drinking the coffee
was 0.189 seconds. The average response time after fifteen minutes of having
coffee in the participants system was 0.174 seconds. That is a difference of 0.015
seconds.
Conclusion
In conclusion, our hypothesis was supported by our data that was collected in
the experiment. The coffee brands did give quicker response times. We learned
from the literature that caffeine wasn’t the direct result of your body getting hyper.
Caffeine actually inhibits the brain’s ability to stop or hit the brakes. Caffeine
blocks Adenosine receptors in neurons, causing adrenaline to come in and raise its
levels. The adrenaline levels rise because the adrenal gland is under the assumption
that your body is in danger and needs to move faster. This reaction is what actually
causes you to feel ‘hyper’ and not the caffeine itself.
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We then arranged the participants into two groups according to the survey. If
the participants had marked that they drank coffee at all, then they were
automatically put into the coffee drinking group. If they marked in the survey that
they did not drink coffee, then they were also automatically set up to be the control
participants who would drink water.
Chart 2
The Participants who were evaluated to be the coffee group were then divided
into three subgroups in accordance to the coffee brands. Each of the three
subgroups contained 4 participants. The coffee subgroups were: the Folgers group,
the Dunkin’ Donuts group and the Starbucks group. The coffee groups were given
their coffee straight without sugar or creamer so that we could accurately get their
response times knowing that only caffeine and different coffee beans were
involved.
Procedures
Reaction test
1. Acquire meter stick
2. Make sure you have coffee or water ready for participants
3. Tell participant to cup his or her hand in the form of a crab claw
4. Level the meter stick with the top of their thumb and make sure that when
it is over the opening of the hand that it is at 0 cm.
5. Drop the meter stick. Do not tell the participant when it will be dropped.
Chart 3
Results:
We tested 16 people and out of the 16 people, 12 drank coffee, and four drank
water. Participants who drank coffee were given 8 ounces of coffee once a day for
4 days. The caffeine content varied for each product. As a result of this, the Folgers
group before time was 0.179 seconds and the result after caffeine consumption with
a 15-minute time interval was 0.156 seconds. This shows a reflex difference of
0.023 seconds.
The Dunkin’ Donuts group had a similar result. The average before time for
the Dunkin’ Donuts group was 0.201 seconds, and the average time after caffeine
consumption was 0.178 seconds. That’s a 0.023 seconds difference just like the
Folgers group.
However, the Starbucks group, which contained the most caffeine at 180 mg,
had different results compared to the first two groups. The average before time of
the Starbucks group was 1.91 seconds, and the after time was 0.167 seconds, which
is a difference of 0.024 seconds. The water group had surprising results, the
average before time was 0.187 seconds and the average after time was 0.187
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References
Rattray, D. (n.d.). Easy baked ham with maple and brown sugar glaze. About.com
Southern Food. Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://southernfood.about.com/
od/bakedhamrecipes/r/bl51123d.htm
Ruhlman, M. (2010, October 7). How to brine chicken (quick brine recipe).
Michael Ruhlman. Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://ruhlman.com/2010/10/
how-to-brine-chicken-quick-brine-recipe
Structure and function of the skin. (n.d.). Biology of the skin: Merck manual home
edition. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/
skin_disorders/biology_of_the_skin/structure_and_function_of_the_skin.html
The secret to marinating your turkey. (2008, January 1). Spices Incorporation.
Retrieved June 22, 2014, from http://www.spicesinc.com/p-1371-marinatingyour-turkey.aspx
The skin (human anatomy): picture, definition, function, and skin conditions. (n.d.).
WebMD. Retrieved June 25, 2014, from http://www.webmd.com/skinproblems-and-treatments/picture-of-the-skin



Folgers
16 Styrofoam cups
16 Participants: 9 girls, 6 boys
Methods
The experiment was conducted in the second floor lecture room in Devlin Hall
and in the Fairmount Towers dormitories. Sixteen Upward Bound Math Science
students volunteered. Out of those sixteen, nine were female and seven were
male. The participants were then asked to fill out a survey and waiver form
agreeing to participate in the experiment.
Participant Survey
Please fill this survey out completely. Do not leave any spaces blank.
Name: ___________________________________
Sex: M___ F ___
Age: __________
Do you drink coffee?
Y____ N____
If not, go straight to waiver. If yes, proceed.
How much do you like coffee?
Denda, M. (2000). Skin Barrier Function as a Self-Organizing System. n, 15, 227.
Williams, B. (Director) (2014, July 10). Skin. Anatomy and Physiology. Lecture
conducted from Wichita State University, Wichita, KS.
How frequently do you drink coffee?
1. Never
2. Once a week
3. Twice a week
4. Every day
5. More than two a day
How do you think coffee affects you?
1. No effect
2. Some effect (more energy)
3. Great effect
Waiver
We are not responsible for anything that happens to you during this experiment. By
signing this form you agree to follow procedures and acknowledge that you signed
up on your own will that pertains to the research being conducted.
Signature: ___________________________________________
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1, 2, 3, React! The Effect of Coffee Brands on Response Time
Battle of the Brands
By: Zainab Dafalla, Vanessa Gonzalez, Lilia Marquez
Mentor: Brandon Williams, Anatomy & Physiology
By: Nikki Allums, Jessica Griffin, and Payton Morgan
Mentor: GuyFranck Kisangani, Economics
Upward Bound Math Science
July 2014
Upward Bound Math Science
June 11, 2014
Abstract
This report ponders over the effect of caffeine on response times. This study
was conducted in an effort to conclude what happens if you consume coffee rather
than water. Various studies have shown that coffee affect alertness. Most of the
work on coffee consumption and mental performance focuses on caffeine. There
are different concentrations of caffeine and different mixtures of coffee beans in
each brand. Assuming this, in this experiment all of the coffee brands that will be
used will have different reactions on each of the 16 participants. Four groups of 4
people were tested for their reaction times and one group was given a specific
brand of coffee to drink while the other group was given water with a wait of 15
minutes after the beverage is consumed to test the reaction time of the participants.
Physics was applied to calculate the results and Physiology was used to explain
how the caffeine functions inside the body. Caffeine had a greater impact on
reaction time than just drinking water.
Introduction
Coffee (an infusion of ground, roasted coffee beans), is a drink that millions of
people around the world drink every morning and every day. It provides them with
a sense of energy and alertness. Coffee and caffeine are introduced in different
brands, such as Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts and Folgers. Although coffee is lauded
for its aroma and flavor, its caffeine content likely plays a role in its popularity.
In this research experiment we conducted, we used 16 volunteer participants
from the Upward Bound Math Science summer program to find if the coffee/
caffeine affected their reaction time before and after they drank it. Our Hypothesis
was that the coffee would affect their response times and make their reaction times
quicker than before they drank the coffee.
Materials
 One Meter stick
 Mr. Coffee coffee machine
 Starbucks French Roast dark coffee
 Dunkin' Donuts original blend
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Literature Review
Effects of the Private-Label Invasion in Food Industries. American Journal of
Agricultural Economics, 1-34. Retrieved July 11, 2014. Web.
This experiment strives to explore the effects of Private-Labels on Food
Industries. This study finds that in order for Name-Brand labels and products to
compete with these private labels and products that are on-the-rise, name-brands
lower their prices, engage in promotional activity and continuously differentiate
their products. The experiment views recent grocery scanner data of private-labels
to determine some affects on prices, promotional activities and the diversity of
products in 32 various food and beverage industries.
Volpe, Richard. The Relationship Between National Brand and Private Label Food
Products: Prices, Promotions, Recessions, and Recoveries ERR-129, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. December 2011.
2014 July 11. Web.
The Relationship Between National Brand and Private Label food Products:
Prices, Promotions, Recessions and Recoveries by Richard Volpe talks about the
recession of 2007-2009. It explains how, to an extent, private brand owners took it
upon themselves to protect their brands against the national brands during their
commercial production season. They did this by lowering prices to compete with
the growing demand of the market.
Some key words that need to be known for the understanding of this article are
as followed: retail food prices, supermarket pricing strategy, private labels, national
brands, promotions and recessions. It begins by presenting the question, “What is
the issue?”
The problem presented is that food retail has been on the rise for private labels,
which means that the national brands have to compete with them for production
and consumers. The study found that on average, private labels were priced at
about 23% lower than National labels.
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Abstract
Throughout the years the one question on every shopper’s mind is, “What
Brand of product should I purchase?” Through our experiment, we tested what 15
people of the UBMS program thought about these products and what they
preferred. With a survey and a taste/sight test, we tested people’s ability to taste and
see the difference in the two brands and their respective products as well as testing
to see if the participants knew any nutritional value and cost differences in these
products. The results were that in the sight test 67%, or 10 out of 15 of the
participants, were able to differentiate between the name brand and off brand in
Froot Loops. In Frosted Flakes 33% of the participants, or 5 out of 15, were able to
differentiate between name brand and off brand and 67% of the participants, or 10
out of 15, also were able to differentiate between name brand and off brand
products in Wheat Thins. With the soda 40% of the participants, or 6 out of 15,
were able to differentiate between name brand and off brand products. In all, only 2
out of 15, or 13.3% of the participants, could tell the difference in each product
through sight. In the taste portion of the test 67%, or 10 out of 15, could taste the
difference between the name brand Froot Loops and the off brand Tootie Fruities.
Again 67% of the participants could tell the difference between the name brand
product Wheat Thins and the off brand product Thin Wheats. In the two different
Frosted Flakes products 54%, or 8 out of 15, of the subjects could taste the
difference of each product. Finally in the Pepsi cola versus Sam’s cola 7 out of 15,
or 47%, of the subjects could tell the difference in the two drinks. In all only 1 out
of 15, or 6 %, of the subjects got everything correct when tasting the different
products.
Congressional negotiators reached a modest budget agreement in December 2013
to restore about $63 billion in automatic spending cuts from programs ranging from
parks to the Pentagon.
But the country has yet to see a dime or any changes made. Some annual cost
for schools is at $1 million in secondary schools. While $2.5 million go to
elementary schools that are thirty-two percent of what they have now in secondary
schools, and sixty-eight percent in elementary.
All the money we put into buying ammunition for military spending and
defense can be cut and go for books and supplies in our school systems. For
instance, a common carried Berretta 9mm handgun, which obviously shoots 9mm
ammunition, sells a box of 50 rounds for $22.
In conclusion, the American government spends too much money on
something that isn’t needed as much at this very moment, so to say. And how we
can put that money into the education budget and get more money for scholarships
for people that are low-income, such as the individuals from the UBMS family
nation-wide.
Introduction
When buying groceries and other products, how do you know which product to
buy? Do you buy the first thing in sight, or are you consistent with your brand
because you’ve bought it before? Are you one who can afford to buy the big brands
or are you a bargain shopper? Are you aware of the differences and similarities
between Name or National brand products and Generic or Private Brands and
labels?
This economics study seeks participants to see if they are able to differentiate
between the name brands and generic brands. A brand is a name, term, design, or
symbol. Many companies use logos or brands as a marketing strategy in order for
their consumers to remember their products and buy more of it. We most
commonly become aware of brands through advertising, and the largest way to
advertise to mass media is by commercials.
Elasticity is how sensitive a product is to price change. Elasticity also refers to
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Bullets vs. Books
By: Cody Coonce, Jacob Ice, Jayden Levine, Anthony Ruybal
Mentor: Long Zhao, Engineering
WSU Upward Bound Math Science
7/11/14
The history of America is a long one. In the beginning there was us and there
was Great Britain. We needed a line of defense to protect ourselves from an over
whelming force of Britain. Because of this threat, we were not worried about our
education and what that could have done for us. Years later, those who did attend
public schools were rich white people. As the nation grew, schools progressed
spreading far in numbers and in size. It would go from just rich white people to the
“Little Rock Nine” in 1957, when schools became desegregated.
Now, the nation was becoming more interested in the education side rather
than the military defense. Until the next war, it would keep changing our priorities
such as world war one and two.
As you may know from history class, America was worried about the fight
over in Europe. As a nation we put all our time in building and supplying those
fighting on our side. We did not hear however that education was put to the side
and had no room for growth.
Now in the twenty-first century, we lead the world in military defense overall.
We put twenty-two percent of the country’s money into defending ourselves, and
only three percent into education. Not to mention that China, a country twice our
size and triple the population count, is only putting eleven percent of their country’s
money in defending it.
If America decreases the defense budget and increases the education budget,
then the country’s economy will increase drastically. As of this year, we have put
six hundred and forty billion dollars ($640 billion) into our military defense.
Compared to China, which is in second place with one hundred and eighty-eight
billion dollars ($188 billion), that is a third of ours. Meanwhile, we put a hundred
and thirty billion dollars ($130 billion) in education. Now a “billion dollars” is a lot
of money, and you would never have to worry about any financial problems. You
would have a comfortable life for you and your posterity.
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how essential a product is to the consumer. In the American economy, when the
economy is booming, it causes people to buy more of name brand products. Their
available income will also determine this. Elasticity is based on consumer demand,
consumer income and available supply. There are many substitutions in the market.
Substitutes have the same concept of Name Brand items but they are typically
cheaper and on average healthier. The more substitutes a product has, the more
elastic it will become. This means that the more replacements created for a
product, mainly generic products, then the name brand does not even matter to the
consumer anymore.
Methods
Design
The experiment was set up such that each participant identified interest in the
experiment by signing their names on a sheet of paper which advertised that we
were in need of participants to take part in an experiment in which free food was
involved. This was a voluntary experiment. All participants were Upward Bound
Math Science students. All of the participants were asked to sign an informed
consent form identifying that they knew the realms of the experiment. They were
notified that there would be little to no harm caused to them by the experiment; the
form also had a space for them to explain any allergies they may have had, doing
this would insure that none of the food would cause them any harm.
There were four types of products chosen, each product had a name brand and
a generic brand associated with it. The purpose of this experiment was to determine
if students could accurately tell the difference between name brand products and
generic brand products using the senses of taste and sight. The students were
blindfolded for the taste test. Each student was tested individually and asked to
complete a survey after they finished.
Materials
 Box of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes (33 oz.)
 Package of Malt-O-Meal Frosted Flakes (40.5 oz.)
 Box of Kellogg’s Froot Loops (26 oz.)
 Package of Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruties (33 oz.)
 Box of Nabisco Wheat Thins (9.1 oz.)
 Box of Great Value Thin Wheats (9 oz.)
 12 pack of Pepsi (12-12 fl. oz. cans)
 12 pack of Sam’s Cola (12-12 fl. oz. cans)
 20 Disposable paper cups (8 oz.)
 95 Disposable paper bowls
 Blind folds
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Procedures
To begin, each participant was asked to sign an informed consent form that
informed him or her of what would be taking place during the experiment. After
this, they were asked to enter the room in which the experiment would take place,
and then they were blindfolded.
The taste test consisted of tasting a total of eight products in four food
categories. The first category consisted of Kellogg’s Froot Loops and Malt-O-Meal
Tootie Fruties. The second category was Nabisco Wheat Thins and Great Value
Thin Wheats. The third category was Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and Malt-O-Meal
Frosted Flakes. The fourth consisted of Pepsi Cola and Sam’s Cola.
The products were either labeled option A or option B. The participants were
asked which one they preferred, then they were asked to state which one they
believed to be the generic one and which one they believed to be the name brand
one. This was done for each category. After this, the blindfolds were taken off of
the participants. The participants then completed a sight experiment, following the
same procedures. They were asked to complete a survey afterwards. The survey
was used to gather information on how much they believed name brand products
and generic products to cost at regular retail value. The responses of the
participants were then recorded and analyzed.
Results
For the taste test, 67% of the participants were able to accurately distinguish
between name brand products and generic brand products for categories one and
two. For category three, only 54% of the participants were able to accurately
distinguish between the name brand products and generic brand products. For
category four, 47% of the participants were able to accurately distinguish between
the name brand products and the generic brand products. Only 6% of the
participants were able to do this for all of the food groups using the taste test.
Appendix II
Informed Consent
Purpose of Study:
A taste testing experiment will be conducted by an Upward Bound Math Science
research team, which will include the participation of 15 UBMS students. The
purpose of this experiment is to examine the ability of students to differentiate
between food brands.
What will be done?
Participants will be blindfolded, and asked to taste four sets of food (a total of eight
products). They will not be told which food is of which brand. They will only be
notified by “Option A” and “Option B”. After they identify which one they prefer,
it will be recorded.
I _______________________________ understand that I will be taking part in a
taste testing survey that will require me to taste a total of eight products. There will
be a total of four cereal products, two soda products, and one cracker product. I will
be asked for my opinion of each product. The foods may or may not contain
chocolate, corn, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup. If I have any allergies to these
products or other things, I understand that I am instructed to list those allergies in
the box located at the bottom of this page.
X_________________________________ Date______/_________/______
For the sight test, 67% of the participants were able to accurately distinguish
between name brand and generic brand products for categories one and three. For
category two, only 30% of the participants were able to accurately distinguish
between name brand and generic brand products. For category four, only 40% of
the participants were able to correctly distinguish between the two brands.
The survey that was administered to the participants after the taste and sight
test asked four introductory questions and it asked for them to estimate the price of
the eight products (not the same products as that in the taste and sight test). The
first question was, “Do you prefer generic brand products or name brand
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Appendix I
Survey
1) Do you prefer generic brand products (ex. Great Value, Kroger) better than
name brand products (ex. Kellogg’s)
2) Which brand do you believe to be healthier: Generic or Name?
products?” Eleven of the participants chose name brand products, and the other
four participants chose generic brand products. The second question asked, “Which
brand do you believe to be healthier, generic or name brand?’ In response to this
question, eight participants responded name brand and 7 participants responded
generic brand. The third question asked, “On a scale of 1-10, with 1 not at all likely
and 10 being very likely, when buying a product how likely are you to read the
nutritional value facts?”
3) On a scale from 1-10, with 1 not at all likely and 10 being highly likely,
when buying a product how likely are you to read the nutritional value facts?
The mode of this dataset displayed 7. This means that 7 was the number that
occurred the most. On the section that asked for them to estimate prices based on
pictures, the participants (on average) said that the name brand products cost 42%
more than the generic brand products.
1) Do you know of and named brand producers? If so, list them below.
Discussion
1) Estimate the price of each product:
In our everyday lives we make the decision to either purchase the name brand
products, such as Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Wheat Thins, and Pepsi or we
purchase the generic brand products, such as Frosted Flakes, Tootie Fruities, Thin
Wheats, and Sam’s Cola. Typically, as consumers we don’t really pay much
attention to the cost or the difference in nutritional value of these products.
Depending on how you were raised and the influence of societal views,
consumers may buy the name brand products because of their exposure to the
commercials advertising the same products, and/or the generation they grew up in
traditionally tended to buy the same products.
$ _________
$ _________
$ _________
$ _________
Our group decided to test and find out what the difference really was through a
sight test, taste test, and a survey. On average out of our 15 participants, half could
tell the difference between at least one of the brands through sight, same for taste.
In each of the different categories, 45% or more of the participants could tell the
difference between each.
When it came to nutrition, it all depended on the specific product; one could be
healthier than the other and it didn’t matter on the type of brand. When it came to
the cost of the individual products, the prices were nearly the same and only varied
by a dollar.
$ _________
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$ _________
$ _________
$ _________
In conclusion, our group found that while there were multiple differences,
these products were not too different. They cost nearly the same, with at least a
42% difference in price between the generic and name brand products. The two
brands looked as well and tasted as well (or the same) as the other.
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Conclusion
The participants were, for the most part, able to distinguish between brands by
just taste and sight. They identified that the name brand products displayed on the
survey that was given to them were more expensive by an average of about 43%.
This leads us to believe that some people can tell the difference between name
brand and generic brand products, while other people cannot. This also leads us to
believe that there is not a strong correlation between the participants that were able
to correctly distinguish between brands using taste vs. those that were able to
distinguish correctly using sight.
This is a raw data chart displaying the participants’ responses to the sight test.
The red indicates that they were unable to accurately distinguish between brands.
The name brand products are in the green color and the generic brand products are
in the blue color.
When conducting the experiment, we used the words “name brand” and “off
brand” for the products used. If we would have used the words “private brand” and
“international brand”, that may have changed the responses of the participants
because in some cases the term “off brand” may have been seen as bad. We also
could have tried to do two studies; one blind, and one not blind. Here we could
have asked them to choose which one they would like based on the package it was
bought in, then had them taste without seeing the package to determine if they
really liked what they thought they would like.
Tables and Figures
This is a raw data chart displaying the participants’ responses to the taste test.
The red indicates that they were not able to accurately distinguish between brands.
The name brand products are in the green color and the generic brand products are
in the blue color.
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