IMMEDIATE HELP NEEDED!!!!

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:07 pm

cud anyone help me on my control group??

will mold(bread) in water serve as a control??

deleted-71670 · Post by **deleted-71670** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 6:15 am

you got it--basically the control will be a piece of bread that you treat exactly the same as the other pieces, but you'll leave out the independent variable.

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:23 pm

Im havin a problem with the above idea...
My teacher just said that it mite not be practical to use saliva...
She said to do something with the disinfectants..but i dont know wat to do!!
plzzz help...

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:30 pm

im doin mine with bread mold...but i dont know where to go from there...
does anyone have any idea??? i am open to any ideas!!!
it does not have to be with disinfectants...but bread mold is for sure...

plz help...i've been trying to figure out an experiment for soo long...i cant come up with any original ones...besides my teacher wants nothing to do with product testing..plzzz i really need help...

im desperate...and my deadline is coming closer! plzzz help...

deleted-71670 · Post by **deleted-71670** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 7:43 am

OK--I see that you don't want to do "product testing"--maybe a way around this is to consider what are the active ingredients in commercial products, and test different active ingredients against each other. Then, your experiment isn't something like "Lysol vs Chlorox" but really "bleach vs alcohol" or something similar.
Your idea of using eucalyptus oil is good. I wonder if you're teacher's concerns about saliva are that there are probably bacteria and things in your spit that might grow on the bread and confuse you're results?
It really sounds like you're on the right track...you've picked a basic experimental protocol and some variables to test. I would say the next step is to sit down and write out a step-by-step plan for what you're going to do and exactly what materials you'll need for each step. Then, if you define specific steps where you're feeling lost, get back to us and we can help you more easily if you have specific questions.
good luck!
Amber

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 5:46 pm

but how will i get the active ingredients out from it??? i will basically be using the product...

and besides, my teacher said to do something a little more original and to stay away from comparing two independent variables...so, i have to have only one variable and different levels of it...
if i use bleach or alcohol, which mite have already been done before, it wudn't have an interesting or catching thing to it...

plzz help...

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:21 pm

i was thinking of testing different levels of air freshener on bread mold...
does it make sense? but i dont know how to use a certain amount of air freshener...

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:47 pm

OKAYYY FORGET THE PREVIOUS ONES
i think i have come up with a new (pretty good) idea...

The Effects of Light on bread mold...
one kept in dark, one kept in artificial light, and one in the sun...
look at it for 10 days...and make an exponential equation of it....

how is this???

deleted-71670 · Post by **deleted-71670** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:50 pm

the air freshener would only help if it's supposed to kill microbes in the air...otherwise it's just fragrance.

Maybe you could test different ways to filter the air?

Your eucalyptus oil idea was good, did your teacher like it? You could do different levels of eucalyptus oil, which is a little more original than bleach or lysol.

deleted-71670 · Post by **deleted-71670** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:52 pm

I think the light idea is pretty good...one thing to keep in mind, you'll want to start with the same amount of mold on each slice of bread, then protect them from getting any new mold spores on them while you're exposing them to different levels of light. Otherwise, you're just testing whether your sunny or dark places have different amounts of spores in the air.
Amber

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 6:59 pm

like do i have to put a plastic sheet on top of it???

and i dont know wat the control would be though...

SGelman · Post by **SGelman** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 9:54 pm

Your control would be where you would normally keep your bread, in average light conditions. For these bread pieces don't try to do anything different, simply store them on your counter or wherever you would keep bread. You could then test bread in a dark room and in direct sunlight.

By testing the moldy bread where you would normally store it for consumption, you can see if it is more beneficial to keep bread in a light or dark area to minimize mold growth.

Covering the bread with plastic wrap is a good way to stop new mold spores from growing on the bread, but make sure that it is not directly on top of the bread; try putting the bread in a container and then covering it with wrap. Also, if you have double-paned windows that let in sunlight but not a lot of heat, you will probably get more accurate results unless you want to test the effects of light AND heat at the same time. Hope this helps-good luck!

-Susan

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 1:06 pm

so I will have one set in a dark area, one in a sunlit area, and one in a normal storing area....
but, according to my teacher, I need three independent variables other than the control group...

any suggestions??? i dont think artificial light will help rite?? cuz no one is goin to keep bread under lightbulb for days...

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 2:29 pm

wait!!!
i just thought bout something now...i cannot keep it in sunlight for long...only in the daytime...i have to keep it for days...

so it will be one in dark, one in light (bulb) and one under normal conditions...but i wont still have three variables other than the control group...

plzz help...

SGelman · Post by **SGelman** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:46 pm

Ok, don't panic!

Let's brainstorm:
1. You could try having different levels of artificial light, such as no light, very low light, under normal circumstances, and lots of bright light. This would be similar to your original plan, but you won't be using actual sunlight.

2. Another possible idea is keeping bread at different temperatures to see how it affects mold growth. Temperature as an independent variable is very easy to control and keep stable. By doing this experiment you could test why items kept in the refrigerator tend to last longer than those left out in room-temperature.

-Susan

binsuabraham · Post by **binsuabraham** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:26 pm

but is this experiment too easy for a junior???

and will it be enough too have different levels of light and only one in dark???

SGelman · Post by **SGelman** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:50 pm

I would say that the experiment is on the easier side for a junior, but that should not stop you from doing the project if that is what you are truly interested in. If you want to do a more complicated project dealing with bacterial disinfectants, I would suggest this project, as it deals with concepts similar to your earlier proposals: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/mentorin ... ?from=Home

If you want to stick with your bread mold idea, try these 2 sites and see if you get any help from them:
http://www.madsci.org/FAQs/micro/molds.html
http://mps.k12.vt.us/msms/grade6/6grade.html

And if you continue with your current idea, think of using an entire range of light, with complete darkness at 1 end of the spectrum and full light at the other end. Think of the spectrum as an asymptote; the different shades of light will constantly approach darkness and light until they get there [unlike an asymptote they will reach the ends]. You could also do some research on the effects of different types of light on bacteria to see if you want a special type of light such as a UV or blacklight.