Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello!! My son is studying the effect of temperature on the viscosity of motor oil for his science project. We are unable to determine the temperature the oil should be heated to for the experiment. Previous studies tested the temperature every 10 minutes until it remained constant. Just wondering if this that method is too in depth for a 5th grade project? Thanks for your assistance.

Hey there.

This sounds like a great project for a 5th grader. Just make sure you are around for safety purposes and make sure all spills are cleaned up asap. What you are going to be looking for is a slow/medium rise. Avoid heating the oil at a rapid pace since it will make it very hard to track these temperatures accurately. This experiment method will take time. Patience is the key here. I have experiments akin to this take a couple hours. Just block out enough time before getting started--and have fun!

Hope this helps.

Elizabeth

Thank you for your input!! It did take more time to do this experiment. My son is very happy with the results & enjoyed checking the oil temperature frequently!!