I Need help!

[Babyshay245]

I am a senior in highschool, and i have a science fair project due in jan. 2006, and i have no clue how to do this. I have chosen chemistry and then testing lotions, i think my question is: - if the advertising claims of each individual lotions are true,(i'm not sure if this is good or not or if it qualifys) ,then i have to write a background. i have never ever done a science experiment, so i don't even know what a variable or what a control is, if someone could help me that would be so great. Thanks you so much

[deleted-71490]

Babyshay254:

You are headed in the right direction in terms of a project. I suggest you go the the Science Buddies home page and read all of the sections on choosing a project, what is involved in preparing the background information and explaining variables, setting up and conducting the project.

If you have more questions after reading this, contact the expert board for help.

Matt Mulanax

[aznnerd666]

What is the question?
Your typed:

"If the advertising claims of each individual lotions are true, then I have to write a background."

aznnerd666

[Babyshay245]

lol, i guess i worded it wrong, i just meant are the claims of the advertisements true?, then i was explaining how i had to write a background paper, 2 different things, sorry

[deleted-71465]

lol, i guess i worded it wrong, i just meant are the claims of the advertisements true?, then i was explaining how i had to write a background paper, 2 different things, sorry

So in general a "variable" is something to change to see what happens and the "control" is the baseline that your use to compare the "variable" with to see if anything happened. In your case, the control would be a skin with no lotion applied to it, where the variable would be the different types of lotion applied to it. You can then compare that variable (skin with lotion) to the control (skin without lotion) to see if there is a change. Make sure the test and the variable case are as same as possible before the experiment (i.e. put the lotion on the right elbow and compare to the left elbow, which has no lotion on it). Also make sure to never use the same test medium twice (i.e. once you put one type of lotion on your elbow, you cannot use it again in the experiment because you will contaminate your own data - since you don't know if the changes are because of the first lotion, or the second lotion).

[Babyshay245]

thank you soooo much!!! i had no idea what a control or variable were, but your explaination helped!! thank you again!!!!