Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Ask questions about projects relating to: biology, biochemistry, genomics, microbiology, molecular biology, pharmacology/toxicology, zoology, human behavior, archeology, anthropology, political science, sociology, geology, environmental science, oceanography, seismology, weather, or atmosphere.

Moderators: AmyCowen, kgudger, MadelineB, Moderators

SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Forgot to attach the edited file--

[The extension docx has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,

Ohh wow!! Blizzard there at your place. Nice to watch from inside home :-) That is sad still birds didn't come. Glad you have bird feeder at your home. I tried putting bird feeder buying bird seeds from Walmart, in my backyard and also in front.. But I haven't seen any birds eating them so far. I just had the feeder during summer and then removed it. So can we have feeder all year along? My mom even got me bird feeder stand to hang it on. During rain, water went in the feeder and seeds got wet. Guess I don't know how to maintain it. I have to try this summer again. Any ideas please let me know.

Hope you are staying safe and warm. I am based from St.Louis, MO. I thought you are in FL. Which place is yours? Here not much snow at all this year.. very very wierd. Weather also not too bad.

I will ask my mom to create LinkedIn for me. What is your account.

I will look into your edited write-up and make necessary changes. Yes table I will change to be in one page. I will look into it today. Really can't thank you enough for your time on my project. Hopefully this year also I will do well in competition.

I will keep posted my next write-up tonight.

Thanks,
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Hi Lakshita,

The blizzard is over, thankfully, and we still have power. We sold our house in Florida last year and moved to our other home in Maine permanently. The south is just getting too hot for too long, and Florida will eventually be under water when the polar ice melts, so the time to relocate is now. There's even a name for people like us--climate migrants. Well, we found our spot on the rocky coast of northern Maine across the bay from Nova Scotia, so I think we will be far enough north to avoid the heat for good. If not, Canada is only a half hour away!

I have about ten different bird feeders at the moment and the ones I like best have the Audubon label. They are expensive but better made. I can talk to you more later about what I think are the best kind.


Send me whatever you have written up so I can check it before you finalize it.

stay safe,

Sybee
lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,
Glad the blizzard is over and you still have power. It really is scary to think that a whole state will go underwater someday due to global warming :( I should probably go to Disneyworld and Universal Studios before that happens :)
As far as the bird feeders, I would love to know your top picks--I'm short so I couldn't even reach the taller tree branches where birds near my home sit.
Today, I had quite a bit of homework, so I didn't write anything much. I just prepared questions to ask my science fair coordinator during our meeting tomorrow. So, look forward to getting a lot of documents from me tomorrow :) Stay safe in the snow.

Thanks,
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Good morning Lakshita,

Yes, it isn't snowing any more--but the foot or so of snow is still covering my yard and driveway and that means I will have to get out there today with the snow thrower and shoot it all over to the side so I can get the truck out. Uggh :x

Good to hear that everything is on track for your sci project with the meeting tomorrow. Is your mom able to be there to listen to what the coordinator has to say? It's good to have back-up for something as important as this.

I'll be watching for your posts here and on LI. I sent a reply to Reynel's questions. He/she is using lemons rather than oranges to make the SAP and I hope it works out. I told him to try to come up with a different experiment from the ones you did to make it more interesting. A farmer wanting to use the SAP to improve his crop yield is going to want to know how much to add for a given amount of soil, but also how long the SAP will continue to work and hold water when incorporated into the soil. You only looked at 21 days, but what happens after a couple of months? We don't know.

TTYL

Sybee
lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,

Hope you are doing good and glad that blizzard stopped. Yes always it is pain cleaning out the snow for driveway :-(. Once I also helped. It was really hard. Here in st.louis, the weather is going in negatives next week. Chilly weather. wow Reynel trying with other alternatives to create the SAP. Guess it will work out with Lemons too. Yes can think too many other options.

Today meeting with my science fair coordinator went on really well. She answered all my questions. I actually prepared my questions before the meeting so I don't miss anything. I recorded the entire meeting in my recorder and also yes my mom was there near me during the meeting.

Few updates from the meeting
- Good news no need for Quad chart and project video for the first 2 rounds until I am selected for ISEF finalist.
- Log book we need to upload separately
- Results section should have data tables/graphs
- Interpretation of the results should have statistical analysis. She walked me through the steps. Since I am comparing more than 2 groups, she mentioned that the T-test isn't necessary. The tests that are necessary are mentioned in the below video that she provided.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPGPV_XPw-o&t=6s
- Guess there is separate graph need to be shown for statistical tests. .I am not sure. I can ask that again. But can you also please let me know your thoughts, what needs to be done
- Since my data for 3 trials are almost consistent, she mentioned, I need to support that in my results section.
- The project presentation should be only 12 page PDF document. She mentioned I can put in word and then convert to PDF.
I can have separate 2 pages for photo credits (my project step by step photos)

I am working on making changes in my other sections with the edits you suggested. I am attaching today with Limitations, Further study and Application to Life. I took few points from my previous research for this and also used the discussion you gave. Please let me know if that makes sense.

[The extension docx has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

Can you please provide the list of tests that I need to mention in my data table and graph. Currently I am doing only mean, SD and SEM.

Thanks so much and Stay warm
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Good morning Lakshita,
Hope you had a good sleep. Wow! Negative temp's--that's cold. Our's will be in low teens with snow flurries. We're right on the coast and the water moderates the temp so that it is warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Inland towards the mountains it is a lot colder and snowier.

I'm glad your meeting with the coordinator was useful. I watched some of the video and it is very good. I hope you have proficiency with Excel. I usually do the ANOVA (stands for 'analysis of variance') but sometimes I just skip it and do the t test (FYI: the 't' in t test is always lower case and italic; also, the 'p' in p value is always lower case italic--don't ask me why--it's just the convention in publications) because I know the data are different. For your work, I would do the ANOVA and then, as suggested in the video, do a t test afterwards to compare each experimental value to the control. The ANOVA alone won't tell you if there is a significant difference between two independent variables.

In the salinity expt, you would compare each type of water to DW to get the p value so you can say whether there is a significant difference between them.

In the expt to measure water absorption of different kinds of soil, there is no control, but you could compare sand to clay and loam, and clay to loam.

The plant growth expt does have a control--growth with no SAP--so you could compare each of your experimental height measurements to the height of the control, although if the first test with 1 Tb SAP is significant, then the other two will be also. You should check with the coordinator if you aren't sure what they want you to show statistics for. I'm a biologist and natural scientist and math is NOT my fave subject!

I will take a look at your write-up now and send the edited copy soon.

Looking forward to Spring!

Sybee
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Here's the applications, limitations, and future research part:

[The extension docx has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,

How are you. For past 2 weeks, I am sleeping very late. Hope after this science fair, I will get some early sleep :-). But I am really lucky to have you as my mentor guiding me in each step of my project. That is really very useful.
Yes crazy weather at your place :-( Forgot to ask you. Did birds come next day. I am excited to get ideas from you for this summer for bird feeder.

As you mentioned, I will go over the video today, work on one data table. I will share it with you and also my science fair coordinator just to make sure, if I am in the right direction and if that is what is expected in the fair. They have lot of points for this statistical analysis. I have not been introduced to this concept in school and hence little confusing. I am good in excel and if I need some help in excel will ask my mom too.

I saw your edited write-up. Thanks so much. I will make required changes. Today I will share with you the next one. Plan is to finish everything by Sunday so I can start putting the project presentation and photos in the PDF and upload by next week.

Thanks and Stay safe.
Lakshita
lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr. Sybee,
Today I was working on formating stuff for my project presentation pdf and also learned few things on statistical analysis. Still, it is confusing for me :-(
I will send you conclusions tomorrow and data tables over the weekend.

Thanks again for your time,
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Good morning Lakshita,

It will all become clear in time. It's like learning a new language. It takes practice, but once you get it, it becomes part of you. Keep watching YT videos that explain what the tests mean and how to do them. If you have some specific questions, I or someone else on Scibuddies may be able to help. There is a math forum where you can ask questions.

Good luck,
sybee
lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,

How are you. Finally I think, I made the statistical tests. I am attaching the Experiment 1 statistical tests. Performed ANOVA single factor and two sample t-test between groups. Please go over and provide your comments.

[The extension xlsx has been deactivated and can no longer be displayed.]

Also can you please help me summarize the statistical tests for experiment1 based on the results as how I have to present in the science research paper. Need the interpretation of the statistical tests.

If this looks good, then I will proceed the same for other 2 experiments and plot graph. Guess I am almost done and on track.

Thanks so much
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Wow, Lakshita! Your data are really good. I wish all my SD's were that low.

I don't think that you have to say much about the statistics in the statistics section, but you could ask the coordinator to be sure. Just say that you did ANOVA and the two-tailed t test and that differences were significant at p less than .05. In the results section you can give the mean +/- SD and the p value to prove that the differences are real and your hypotheses are supported.

Good job! You are almost home free. Condensing this all into a two-min video is gonna be tough, I think, but you can do it.

How's the weather where you are? Here it is supposed to snow again tomorrow and get really cold next week--like below zero, with a wind chill of -15!! We did the grocery shopping on Friday and are just gonna stay at home until the storm passes through. Hopefully we won't lose power, as that means no heat, lights or water--pretty bad :!:

Stay safe and warm,

Sybee
lakshu_s
Posts: 207
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 11:48 am
Occupation: Student

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by lakshu_s »

Hi Mr.Sybee,

Ohhh no!!!! again snow and bad weather at your place. That is really tough. Yes I heard in news that through out country we will have chill temperatures in negatives the whole next week. Good that you completed grocery shopping :-) I have to learn driving may be starting this summer, so I can drive next year. That would be helpful for myself and my mom too.

We are in St.Louis, MO. Here it is snowing little but not much accumulations. But it is cold.

Thanks so much for your email. I will work on my results section write up and will send you for your suggestions. I don't get your point where you mentioned "In the results section you can give the mean +/- SD and the p value to prove that the differences are real and your hypotheses are supported." Can you please help me on this how do I write?
I also sent my data table with analysis to my science fair coordinator for her suggestions too. But not sure if she will assist me in the writing part as she is the science fair instructor for the competition. I will let you know what she suggests for my write up.

Tomorrow I will start putting my other data tables too and will send you across.

Thanks for your time. Stay warm.
Lakshita
SciB
Expert
Posts: 2066
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
Project Due Date: n/a
Project Status: Not applicable

Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels

Post by SciB »

Good morning Lakshita--happy Sunday!

I'm sitting with my coffee looking out the window onto the snowy field. The sun is bright but hazy through the clouds and the temp is 18F with a high of only 32. I'm imagining what it will look like later today when the snow starts coming down again. If we get enough, I am gonna make a snow Bigfoot! Maybe even a mama bigfoot and young one walking across the back yard :)

Let me know what your coordinator has to say about the stat tests. Scientific publications don't talk much about the basic tests, ANOVA and t test, because everybody does these. If you want to see some examples of how to write up the stat part in a paper, just go to google scholar and find some references that include a statistics section.

What I meant was something like: "The data were expressed as mean plus or minus standard deviation, and groups were compared by means of ANOVA and t test. Significance was defined as p less than .05." Clear and simple.

Papers have larger stat sections when they are using many different tests for specialized analyses of datasets, but you do not need to do that with simple comparisons and hypotheses. Watch some more videos on stats and you will get a better idea of how they are used in a scientific paper.

I hope your storm is over quickly and the weather clears up. Spring is coming!

Sybee
Locked

Return to “Grades 9-12: Life, Earth, and Social Sciences”