Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I want to do a project that will open people eyes but I can't think of something my teacher would allow. My project has to be an experiment. I want to do something about how microwaves affects human beings but it keeps being rejected. Please give me ideas.

Hi Carmen,

I sympathize with your dilemma. The really interesting experiments require expensive lab equipment and supplies that you probably don't have access to or involve humans or animals like lab rats and you can't experiment on either one.

Actually, you can 'experiment' with humans--you just can't do anything to them physically. You can ask a question like does watching a scary movie before bedtime make it harder for you to sleep? Or, does drinking an energy drink improve your skill at shooting baskets or hitting a baseball.

Microwave radiation can be harmful to humans in high doses, certainly, but a more important question might be what is the effect of long-duration exposure to low levels of radiation? Here again, you would have a problem and that is time. You can't do a project that takes years to complete!

Picking an interesting, important and doable experimental science project is difficult. You have to think hard about what questions interest you most, do some reading about them online or watch a TED video, and then try to come up with a realistic hypothesis and a way to test it.

We can help you in developing a project, but we can't tell you what to do. That has to be your choice. Do some more thinking and researching about a project that is both exciting and workable and post again and we will try to help you plan the details.

Good luck!

Sybee

Carmen,

Don't post your question on other people's threads. That is unfair to them and can cause trouble for those trying to answer questions. Be patient. We are all busy but we will answer your question as soon as we can. Very general questions like yours are not easy to answer.

Sybee

Sorry I did not know I thought it was open for everyone?

Another thing , for Column Chromatography is there a way I cam make that to an experiment with three different variable.

That's ok. You can make comments and suggestions on other people's threads about THEIR project, but if you want us to answer questions about your project then please keep them all together in your one thread--like this one! We read all the questions and answers to see what others have said about your project and if they are scattered around in several places it's hard to get the whole story.

So, did my answer before help you at all? Do you have some ideas about questions you might want to ask? We can help you better if you give us more information.

Sybee

P.S.
I just saw your next post and now I am confused! Why are you asking about column chromatography?

Hi I decided to change my project. I thought this would be better but I don't know how to change it into an experiment but if you have an idea on the microwaves I would love to hear it.

Hi Carmen,

What is it that you would like to test with column chromatography? I agree with what Sybee mentioned earlier; whenever you're thinking about different potential projects, always be sure to keep in mind what it is you would like to test and how you're going to go about doing it. This way, you will have a defined hypothesis and a series of methods to ultimately test it.

If you're still having trouble coming up with some experiments or a project, I also recommend giving our website a try; we have numerous projects available that might give you some more insight on something that interests you.

As for studying microwaves, I also agree with what was said previously. University-level instrumentation and laboratory animals would be what is necessary to study this; performing long-term microwave radiation studies on humans would likely not be an experiment that could get approval. Additionally, the work necessary to perform human experiments (even just getting human tissues for study!) requires a great deal of regulations.

Let us know what further questions you have and we'll be happy to help.

I realized that and now I M very sure that I want to try Column Chromatography. I just not sure I can have 3 different variables to test. I am thinking about seeing if brands that make grape soda use the same colors to make the soda? I feel like that is to easy. Do you have any ideas? Please help

Sorry typed the wrong I am now looking about how much energy is in different foods. I am just not sure which 3 different Varibles I should use.