Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am doing the project https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... background and I need help on my Data on making a graph I don't know how to start my Results are: I am puzzled how to do my graph I'm trying to finish this project over Christmas break Thanks for your time!
Attempt # 1 - Ice only -- 39 F,
Attempt # 1 Freezer 53 F
Attempt #1 Ice Water36F
Attempt #2 Ice only – 40 F
Attempt #2 Freezer – 51 F
Attempt #2 Ice water – 36F
Attempt#3 Freezer- 50 F
Attempt #3 Ice water 35F
Attempt #3 Ice only 39F

Hello, and welcome to Science Buddies! I hope you had fun conducting your experiment. That's a great project.

So, you need to show 3 data points (3 soda cans) over time for 5 different cooling devices. To show data over time, a line graph is best (instead of a bar graph). I recommend using Excel to generate your chart. Are you familiar enough with Excel and line charts enough to organize your data and plot?

Instead of plotting the individual temperatures of the 3 soda cans, I recommend you calculate the average temperature of the three soda cans and plot the average at each time interval for each cooling device. The 3 soda cans are a "sample size" that represents the population of soda cans in your experiment.

In line graphs, you can plot series. Series will appear as different colored lines on the same plot. This is an excellent way to present the 5 different cooling methods.

Not sure how to make a line graph with series? Here are a couple of resources. You are also welcome to write back with more questions.
http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelc ... _graph.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-PaQymHkhg

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Its actually for just for 3 cooling units but thanks for the help!

I don't know really how I can make it I made one that is a bar graph is that okay for the science project?

3 cooling units is fine. A bar graph is tough to interpret visually when you're looking for trends over time, which you're doing in this experiment. I don't recommend it. Have you looked at the links I provided you on tutorials for line graphs? They look hard but they're actually quite easy to do.

Have you already set your data up in Excel to generate a bar graph? If so, you may not have to do any additional work. Change the chart type to line graph, and see what you get.

I have tried to set it up but it doesn't come out right.

I can't figure it out I have looked at the links I can't do it.

Can you post your spreadsheet of your current data setup?

The numbers I put under them is the average temperature.

I have been trying for a while I can't quite do it.

I've made another is this one good?

Ok. I see why you are having problems. The temperatures you gave...are these the final temperatures after a certain time period? How long did you let the cans sit before reading the temperature?

Review the procedures on the website. You should be taking temperature readings of all the soda cans at regular time intervals (the procedures recommend every five minutes). You should continue to take temperature readings until the temperatures stabilize. How do you determine this? I recommend after three time intervals of the same temperature reading for each can. I'm not an expert in this area, but I would think the final temperature for all three methods would be about the same (within a few degrees of each other), but it may take longer to reach that temperature in some methods over others (that's the purpose of this experiment!)

The purpose is to determine which method cools the soda the fastest. In order to determine this, simply compare the # of minutes each method takes for the average temperature to stabilize. Visually, you will want to plot the temperatures at each time interval. The method (colored line) with the steepest line (reaching stable temperature the fastest) is your answer.

This assumes, again, that all three average final temperatures will stabilize within a few degrees of each other. If the numbers you provided are the final temperature readings, you have another point of discussion. If the final temperature of the soda in the freezer is 51 degrees but the other two methods drop the soda temperature another 10+ degrees, what do you prefer as a soda drinker? Is 51 degrees cool enough to satisfy your thirst, and it's not worth waiting the additional time it takes to drop the additional 10+ degrees? This is just one of many questions I can think of to discuss this example of data results. I'm thinking, maybe, you didn't leave the sodas in long enough?

Once you take readings at regular intervals, check out the second tab of your spreadsheet I have attached. This is how to set up the data for your line graph.

I hope this is helping you move along in your project. Feel free to continue with questions.

I let the cans sit for 3 mins and the temperatures that are 39, 35, 51 are the averages.

Ok. Did you take an initial temperature before placing them in the ice or freezer? I recommend you do the procedure again. Be sure to take an initial temperature, and then take temperatures again every 5 minutes or so until the temperatures stabilize as I described. One temperature reading isn't enough.