Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I need to find out a scale to measure how bad a shoe smells. I can't use bacteria because than i need a microbiologist to help me. )= i'm looking it up on the internet, but i can't find anything! )= PLEASE HELP ASAP!!

Hi!
This is a very interesting question but you are very right, measuring smell and the "degree" of a smell is extremely hard. If you look at the following website, you will find that if you were to obtain an electronic nose for sensing smell, it would be an extremely complicated process which you may not quite have time for.
http://europe.isixsigma.com/library/con ... 71003b.asp
Let us know if you have any other ideas, good luck!

Hi kateydid13,
There is an instrument called an "olfactometer" that can be used for this sort of measurement. These devices can be quite complicated and expensive, but an internet search for "simple olfactometer" might yield some useful information.
Good luck! Please let us know if you have further questions.
Chris

Would i have to buy a "olfactometer" to use one?? or do you think i could find one to borrow??

Another question: do you know where i could go for related research?

Hi,
Those are not common instruments, so it might be difficult to find one to borrow. You might be able to build a simple version.
For related research, try an internet search for "olfactometry". You might also want to search for terms related to foot odor.
Chris

Thanks! I'll try it! Do you know of a website I could look at to find how to build the enstrument

Hi Katelyn!
Olfactometers can get pretty complicated, but here's a website that details the building of one-
http://psych.wlu.edu/cnl/olfactometer.htm
Maybe you can get some ideas from it and ask your teachers if they can help you out! Good luck!

thank you!!

Okay, I just looked at the website and I don't think that I could build that! ( I'm not really good at that kind of stuff!)
so do you know of any other way i could do it or somthing that I could change in my question (" what product best elliminates shoe odor")??

I need help asap

Hi kateydid13,
Sorry we have not gotten back to you yet. I don't think anyone was expecting you to build a device as complicated as that. The idea was more that you could use the general idea to create a simple device that gives the user a more objective sense of how strong a smell is. For example, maybe you could design something with a small air pump (like one for a fish tank).
I hope that helps,
Chris

okay. My teacher said that i should change my question... so now i am doing "does age affect reaction time?" I have it under a new post called "Reaction Time"
thanks!