Buttered bread always falls buttered side down xDD

KnightSaber · Post by **KnightSaber** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 12:48 am

Im doing an experiemnt on whether buttered bread falls buttered side down.
im in yr 10

so can i have 2 variables in one experiment?

i wanna test if the amount of butter and height can affect the results..

Saber.

PhilipPierce · Post by **PhilipPierce** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 10:08 am

Hi KnightSaber,

Yes, you can have two variables, but you can only change one at a time.

For example, you could set up your experiment like this and only change the butter while keeping the height the same:

Height-5 cm. 1 thing of butter
Height-5 cm. 2 things of butter
Height-5 cm. 3 things of butter

Then, you would change the height like this:

Height-10 cm. 1 thing of butter
Height-10 cm. 2 things of butter
Height-10 cm. 3 things of butter

Please let us know how it goes.
Philip

KnightSaber · Post by **KnightSaber** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:40 pm

ic ill try it out soon...

thats when i buy my bread that is xD

suki~ · Post by **suki~** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:52 am

Hi, I am also conducting this research and I have several question to ask.

1) What would be used to ensure that the 'force' used to push the bread off the specific holder (e.g. plate, table) is a fair test?

2) How to make sure the bread on a specific holder is 'stable and accurate' everytime you change the height (e.g. 10cm, 20cm, 30cm etc.) so you can steadily push the bread off? Is there a special equipment for this?

3) What do you suggest the starting height, the amount you go up by and the ending height be? (Pushing a bread off a plate 3cm off the ground is ridiculous ><)

4) How to make sure the amount of butter, everytime you put on the bread, is spread out equally and the amount is the same for every piece of bread?

Help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Suki~

suki~ · Post by **suki~** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 3:42 am

Sorry for a double post but i solved question number two and a bit of three.

IMO, i think it would be a good idea to 'stack' several congruent boxes (tissues boxes) together and placing bread on top of it as a launch pad and also maybe sticky taping them together. This way it would be more stable and accurate.

The amount going up by would be the height of the tissue box, in this case it will go up by 8.5cm or twice/triple that much. I'm still deciding the starting height and ending height, suggestions would be most welcome.

I'm still idling on questions 1 and 4.... No clue on how to solve those.

~suki

Lise Byrd · Post by **Lise Byrd** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 1:56 pm

If you use sticks of butter, there are often measurements (I think in tablespoons) of the amount of butter on the wrapper. Cutting off the butter at these markers would ensure that you are using the same amount every time.

You should be able to spread the butter on the bread fairly evenly with just a knife. As long as the butter is soft enough to be spread easily and you try to cover the entire side of bread, you should be able to tell when one area has a lot more butter on it than another.

Ideally, to keep the force constant, you would want to use a robot. Do you have any Lego or Mechano (or other building set) that comes with a motor? You could easily build a simple robot-- an arm attached to the motor would be enough. Starting the motor would cause the arm to swing slowly, and it would push the bread off the launch pad.

Hope this helps!
Sonia

suki~ · Post by **suki~** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 2:22 am

Thank you for your reply Lisa,

I currently do not have any lego, or any equipment to build a robot to push the bread off my launch pad. Is there any other way to do this?

Also, what is suggested to be a good starting height/ending height? Too little and much can make a lot of difference in this experiment. I'm sure between two heights the bread can rotate in the air twice and land buttered side upwards. On the other hand, between two distinct heights the bread would land buttered side down.

Additionally, is there any variables other then the mentioned would effect this experiement (e.g. room temperature, wind)?

Regards,

Suki~

Lise Byrd · Post by **Lise Byrd** » Sat Jul 15, 2006 12:15 pm

For starting and ending heights, you might look at tables, which bread would be most likely to fall off from in everyday life. You could use a low coffee table for a starting height and work your way up to the height of a kitchen table or a tall counter.

I don't think that wind will affect your experiment much, unless you are doing it out-of-doors in a very strong wind. Temperature should also not be a large issue unless it changes drastically during your experiment. Try not to look at too many variables or you will get overwhelmed. As long as conditions are fairly consistent, there should be no problem.

Without a robot, you will have to approximate a steady force as best you can. If you think you can do this "by eye," that's fine. Otherwise, if you want to be sure of a steady force, you can push your piece of bread from a designated Point A to Point B in 1 or 2 seconds. Another option is to rig up a hanging launch pad. One end would be permanently attached to your tissue boxes (or other item you're using for height). The other end would be attached with a cord or thread. All you would have to do is cut the thread and let gravity take over.

Sonia

Buttered bread always falls buttered side down xDD

Buttered bread always falls buttered side down xDD

To test if Buttered Bread Always fall buttered side down.