Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi ,
I am helping my Grandson do a science project based on Smoking and to be honest it has been too many years since I have done one I could sure use some help .
The Question is : How does smoking affect our lungs ?
We are stuck with the Independent Variable as I said , its been a longgg time . Are the Dependent Variable ( How dark will the cotton balls get) and the Controlled (Cigarettes , Cotton Balls ) we've chosen okay and if not do you have any ideas ?
This is our Hypothesis : If the smoke discolors the cotton balls I placed in the plastic bottle after the (5) cigarettes have all been used for this experiment then the dark spots on the cotton balls will show how smoking will harm your lungs .
What is raw data ? Is it the notes and pictures we took while he was doing the experiment ? Plus we have collected graphs and charts from various sites to support our project . Does procedure stand for Experiment and the steps to complete it ?
I am full of questions my grandsons Science teacher is not very informative and well to be honest my Grandson has ADHD and doesn't remember or stays focused in class . I would truly appreciate any assistance or guidance you can give us at this point .

Thank You
C. Urbina

Hi again,

What grade is your grandson in? You have posted your question in K through 5 and then here again in grades 6-8. I answered thinking that it was for an elementary school project. If your grandson is in middle school, then it would best to do a project with measurable results.

I don't know if it would be possible to weigh the cotton balls before an after to determine the exact quantity of smoke particles present or not, but that would be better scientifically.

Please reply to just one of the replies so we can keep all of the information on this topic together in one place.

Thanks.


Donna Hardu

Hi Donna . he and I are stuck on an independent variable . We are basing his project on this experiment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWzVUYbhWEs .

Hi CUrbina,

Thanks for posting the link for the video. I think I understand the problem now. The video shows a demonstration of how cigarette smoke discolors white cotton balls. This is a good visual example of the effect of cigarette smoke and it's easy to imagine the effect of smoke on lungs, but it is not an experiment.

For a science project you need to do a controlled experiment with one variable (the independent variable) and measure the results of the (dependent variable.) I don't think it would be easy to quantitate the brown residue on the cotton balls.

My original reply to the first inquiry that you posted yesterday has disappeared and I'm not sure you received it, so I will repeat my precaution about doing an experiment with tobacco. Most science fairs do not allow experiments done with hazardous or materials that would be illegal for children to have. So, if your do proceed with this experiment, do check with your grandson's teacher and make sure you have approval to proceed.

If you can think of a way to measure the brown color or particulate material that accumulates on the cotton balls, it might be possible to continue with this experiment. Otherwise, you should consider revising the topic. The topic selection wizard can help identify a project idea with an experiment that your grandson would be interested in doing.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... gister.php

Please continue to post replies until we can resolve the issue with the project topic and the independent variable.


Donna

Donna ,
My Grandsons science teacher has allowed it especially since I am helping him set the presentation up by taking pictures and being present and he will be wearing a face mask as he attempts to demonstrate how 5 cigarettes can discolor your lungs by using this artificial substitute lung in a bottle to do so , imagine 20 cigarettes . As an independent variable I'm thinking " How smoking only 5 cigarettes can discolor your lungs " or " If five (5) cigarettes discolor your lungs , imagine 20 . As far as the measurements and or accumulation on the cotton balls the pictures I took also include pictures of the filters after being used and the resin/nicotine left under the bottle cap should be sufficient . What do you think ?

Hi Curbina,

Thanks for your reply. This is good news that your grandson's teacher has approved the project.

The next challenge for this project is to figure out the best way to measure the smoke residue deposited on the cotton balls in the bottle.

One possibility would be to use a color matching application downloaded to a smart phone, such as the following:

https://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeow ... ap-mobile/

Another possibility would be to use paint chip samples from a paint store ranging from white to smoky gray and match the color to the paint chip.

Another possibility, although more complicated, would be to measure the smoky atmosphere inside the bottle using a cell phone spectrophotometer:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p100.shtml

Perhaps you can think of another way to measure the color from a smoke-exposed cotton ball compared to the original white cotton ball.
Once you have determined the best method that would be suitable for your grandson to do, you can measure the color on the original cotton balls and after one, three, and 5 cigarettes. This should give a color range that can be used to plot a standard curve.

Your independent variable is the number of cigarettes used; the dependent variable is the color of the cotton ball, or the smokiness of the atmosphere inside the bottle (for the cell phone spectrophotometer).

For your results section, your grandson can plot the number of cigarettes on the x-axis (horizontal) and the color value on the y-axis (vertical).

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ysis.shtml (note; this graph is the most important part of the project).

If possible, you could compare results with regular cigarettes and with the filter removed from the cigarette, Also, if possible, the experiment should be run in duplicate. You should be able to measure the color before you start (0 cigarettes) and then after 1,3, and 5 cigarettes. Your grandson will have a complete project if he can get one graph completed.

I hope this is helpful. Please let me know if have any other questions.


Donna

Hi Donna ,

I thought the same once he approved it , otherwise he would have had to choose a different project and that is not an easy thing to do with a Teenager especially one who has ADHD . I will let you know how it works out Donna , this is a very helpful site and we are glad we found it and have had the pleasure of exchanging ideas with you . I will be sure to let everyone I know who is having difficulty with their science project and or just maybe eager to find out more about Science to log onto science buddies . Have a great day and week

Thank you ,
C. Urbina

Hi C, Urbina,

Just do as much as you can. It's not too early to start working on the display board. Here's everything that should be included for a complete project. You can try to get a little done every day. Hopefully you can do the experiment out of doors for best ventilation.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... oard.shtml

Let us know if there are any other questions about the experimental protocol.


Donna