Hi Mr.Sybee,
Again thanks so much for your clarifications. This is helping me a lot to progress well in my project.
1. As you mentioned, yes I will go over the videos and include those details in my project.
2. Can you please validate my Title, Hypothesis, Question, Rationale and correct me if I am missing something and any verbal change.
Title:
Are Superabsorbent Polymers made out of Orange/Avocado Peels as efficient as Potassium Polyacrylate used in Agriculture and a more Eco-Friendly Biopolymer?
(The Average Fold Change of Water Absorption Capacity for various Superabsorbent Polymers)
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Soil Moisture over a period of 21 days)
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Plant Growth over a period of 21 days)
For science fair, they are expecting us to mention the graph title along with the title. Since I have 3 experiments for my projects, there are 3 graphs. Are the graph titles appropriate?
Hypothesis:
If types of superabsorbent polymers (Potassium polyacrylate, orange/avocado peel powder, and orange/avocado peel mixture) are compared for water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, then the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, plant growth after 21 days would be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate.
Question:
When types of superabsorbent polymers like Potassium polyacrylate, Orange/Avocado peel powder, and Orange/Avocado peel mixture are compared for the water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, will the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, and plant growth after 21 days be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate?
Rationale:
I wanted to do this project because biodegradable superabsorbent polymers is a highly debated subject. During my research, I found that with anticipated water stress in the future due to population growth, climatic changes, and environmental irrigation factors, hydrogel agriculture technology has been introduced. Hydrophilic polymers could store water and nutrients and release them in drought conditions in light soils. Therefore, an acceptable crop yield with less irrigation could be achieved. I learned that synthetic SAPs involves some toxic residual byproducts and it is expensive (USD3000-3500 per ton). It should be used as per the prescribed dosage. The process to mix potassium polyacrylate is very difficult for common farmers. Recently there are efforts to develop "natural" or fully biodegradable SAPs that might circumvent these limitations. Therefore, SAPs based on polysaccharides are attracting increasing attention lately. This project attempts to investigate if superabsorbent polymers made out of orange/avocado peels are as efficient as and more environmentally friendly than potassium polyacrylate. I really attempted to look at this because during my research it surprised me to see how global climatic anomalies, drought, and deficient precipitation has occurred across the globe in varying scales of severity and how that impacted agriculture.
3. Regarding growing plants, yes I am doing that. I got mini green house as well.
4. My first experiment is water absorption capacity, second experiment is effect on soil moisture, and third would be to check on the plant growth.
5. For second experiment, I am proceeding with the below steps:
o 3 biodegradable cups are filled with 3/4 top soil and 1/4 with each of the SAP. 1 cup is filled fully with top soil (for control testing).
o Saturate each of the 4 cups with 50 ml of distilled water
o After 21 days test the soil moisture in each of the 4 cups with soil moisture tester.
Please confirm if top soil is fine to use since I thought normal potting soil will have other fertilizers needed for growth that would change the readings.
6. For third experiment, I checked for mini plants. But I am not getting as expected. So I am planning for the below steps:
o 8 biodegradable cups are filled with top soil ( 2 cups with potassium polyacrylate, 2 cups with orange/avocado peel powder, 2 cups with orange/avocado peel mixture and 2 with no SAP)
I am taking 8 cups for each trial ( 2 with each SAP and 2 with no SAP). I am planning to germinate lima bean seed in each cup. I am taking additional cups so even if one seed does’nt germinate, I can use the other cup.
o I am planning lima bean seed in each cup. After germination, I am checking the height of the plant in each cup after 21 days.
Please suggest/correct me if I am missing something. Usually since lima bean takes less time to germinate, I chose this method to check the growth. Is it ok?
Thanks,
Lakshita
Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Moderators: AmyCowen, kgudger, MadelineB, Moderators
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Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Lakshita,
I am impressed with your skill in creating a great project and write-up. I hope you do decide to go into science. It is a very satisfying career and I think you would be very good at it.
Here are my revisions and (hopefully) answers to all your questions. Please feel free to disagree and use your own ideas. In some cases the grammar was wrong and had to be corrected, but in others I chose different words or eliminated some for clarity and readability. This is sort of a personal preference, so do follow your own style ideas.
Title
Are Superabsorbent Polymers made out of Orange/Avocado Peels as efficient as Potassium Polyacrylate used in Agriculture and a more Eco-Friendly Biopolymer? I think your title is too long for a person to easily take in so I shortened it:
Eco-friendly, super-absorbent polymers made from orange and avocado peels—are they good for agriculture?
Figure Titles
The figure title should also be short. You can give the details of the experiment in the caption to the figure.
(The Average Fold Change of Water Absorption Capacity for various Superabsorbent Polymers)
Water absorption by super-absorbent polymers, average fold-change.
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Soil Moisture over a period of 21 days)
Effect of super-absorbent polymers on soil moisture.
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Plant Growth over a period of 21 days)
Effect of super-absorbent polymers on plant growth.
Hypothesis:
If types of superabsorbent polymers (Potassium polyacrylate, orange/avocado peel powder, and orange/avocado peel mixture) are compared for water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, then the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, plant growth after 21 days would be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate.
A hypothesis needs to be in the form of a statement about what you expected to happen: The orange/avocado peel mixture shows greater water retention and plant growth compared to orange/avocado peel alone or polyacrylate.
Question:
When types of superabsorbent polymers like Potassium polyacrylate, Orange/Avocado peel powder, and Orange/Avocado peel mixture are compared for the water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, will the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, and plant growth after 21 days be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate?
I think your question is also a little too long. Details like the length of time are best kept in the methods section. People looking at a poster like to read simple, direct statements.
Here’s my version of the question: How do orange/avocado peel formulations compare to the super-absorbent polymer, polyacrylate, in terms of water retention and effect on plant growth?
Here is my edited version of your Rationale:
Rationale:
I wanted to do this project because biodegradable superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are a highly debated subject. During my research, I found that with the anticipated water stress in the future due to population growth, climatic changes, and effects of irrigation on the environment, hydrogel agriculture technology has been introduced. Hydrophilic polymers store water and nutrients and release them in drought conditions in light soils; therefore, an acceptable crop yield could be achieved with less irrigation. I learned that synthetic SAPs for agricultural use can be contaminated with toxic byproducts. They are also quite expensive (USD3000-3500 per ton) when used at the recommended level and the application process would be difficult for small farmers.
Recently there have been efforts to develop cheaper, biodegradable SAPs based on natural polysaccharides that might circumvent these limitations. In this project, I investigated whether superabsorbent polymers made from orange/avocado peels were as efficient as synthetic potassium polyacrylate at water retention while being more environmentally friendly. I chose to look at this question because during my research it surprised me to see how much global climatic anomalies, drought, and deficient precipitation have occurred across the globe in varying degrees of severity and how that has harmed agriculture, especially in developing countries.
5. Plain bagged soil should be fine for experiments 2 and 3, just check the label to make sure there is no fertilizer or water-holding ingredients added.
6. Bean seeds are perfect for your third experiment as they usually germinate well and the plants are vigorous growers. They do like a warm soil to germinate, however, so after planting the beans you should put the cups in a place where the daytime temperature is 22-28C. Also, beans need at least 6 hours of sunshine each day to grow properly so try to keep the pots in a south-facing window—but not too hot.
Good luck and keep posting!
Sybee
I am impressed with your skill in creating a great project and write-up. I hope you do decide to go into science. It is a very satisfying career and I think you would be very good at it.
Here are my revisions and (hopefully) answers to all your questions. Please feel free to disagree and use your own ideas. In some cases the grammar was wrong and had to be corrected, but in others I chose different words or eliminated some for clarity and readability. This is sort of a personal preference, so do follow your own style ideas.
Title
Are Superabsorbent Polymers made out of Orange/Avocado Peels as efficient as Potassium Polyacrylate used in Agriculture and a more Eco-Friendly Biopolymer? I think your title is too long for a person to easily take in so I shortened it:
Eco-friendly, super-absorbent polymers made from orange and avocado peels—are they good for agriculture?
Figure Titles
The figure title should also be short. You can give the details of the experiment in the caption to the figure.
(The Average Fold Change of Water Absorption Capacity for various Superabsorbent Polymers)
Water absorption by super-absorbent polymers, average fold-change.
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Soil Moisture over a period of 21 days)
Effect of super-absorbent polymers on soil moisture.
(The Effect of various Superabsorbent Polymers on Average Plant Growth over a period of 21 days)
Effect of super-absorbent polymers on plant growth.
Hypothesis:
If types of superabsorbent polymers (Potassium polyacrylate, orange/avocado peel powder, and orange/avocado peel mixture) are compared for water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, then the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, plant growth after 21 days would be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate.
A hypothesis needs to be in the form of a statement about what you expected to happen: The orange/avocado peel mixture shows greater water retention and plant growth compared to orange/avocado peel alone or polyacrylate.
Question:
When types of superabsorbent polymers like Potassium polyacrylate, Orange/Avocado peel powder, and Orange/Avocado peel mixture are compared for the water retention ability, soil moisture efficiency, and plant growth efficiency, will the amount of water absorbed, soil moisture after 21 days, and plant growth after 21 days be high for Orange peel mixture and as efficient as Potassium polyacrylate?
I think your question is also a little too long. Details like the length of time are best kept in the methods section. People looking at a poster like to read simple, direct statements.
Here’s my version of the question: How do orange/avocado peel formulations compare to the super-absorbent polymer, polyacrylate, in terms of water retention and effect on plant growth?
Here is my edited version of your Rationale:
Rationale:
I wanted to do this project because biodegradable superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) are a highly debated subject. During my research, I found that with the anticipated water stress in the future due to population growth, climatic changes, and effects of irrigation on the environment, hydrogel agriculture technology has been introduced. Hydrophilic polymers store water and nutrients and release them in drought conditions in light soils; therefore, an acceptable crop yield could be achieved with less irrigation. I learned that synthetic SAPs for agricultural use can be contaminated with toxic byproducts. They are also quite expensive (USD3000-3500 per ton) when used at the recommended level and the application process would be difficult for small farmers.
Recently there have been efforts to develop cheaper, biodegradable SAPs based on natural polysaccharides that might circumvent these limitations. In this project, I investigated whether superabsorbent polymers made from orange/avocado peels were as efficient as synthetic potassium polyacrylate at water retention while being more environmentally friendly. I chose to look at this question because during my research it surprised me to see how much global climatic anomalies, drought, and deficient precipitation have occurred across the globe in varying degrees of severity and how that has harmed agriculture, especially in developing countries.
5. Plain bagged soil should be fine for experiments 2 and 3, just check the label to make sure there is no fertilizer or water-holding ingredients added.
6. Bean seeds are perfect for your third experiment as they usually germinate well and the plants are vigorous growers. They do like a warm soil to germinate, however, so after planting the beans you should put the cups in a place where the daytime temperature is 22-28C. Also, beans need at least 6 hours of sunshine each day to grow properly so try to keep the pots in a south-facing window—but not too hot.
Good luck and keep posting!
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Mr.Sybee,
Thanks so much for your compliments. Yes I will be studying science in my college. My parents wants to opt for medicine. But I love forensic/astronomy. I took Bio-Med in my school. Based on the job options and after talking with counsellor, I will choose the right subject to my interest. I am also in music (vocal) which my passion as well. So I will choose a career, that won’t disturb my musicals. I am confused still.
I noted down all your corrections. I will update based on your suggestions.
Regarding step 2 and step 3, thanks for clarifying. I will work on step 2 and step 3 this week end simultaneously.
I will keep you posted on what I see and will send you my other documentation for your review as and when I complete.
Thanks,
Lakshita
Thanks so much for your compliments. Yes I will be studying science in my college. My parents wants to opt for medicine. But I love forensic/astronomy. I took Bio-Med in my school. Based on the job options and after talking with counsellor, I will choose the right subject to my interest. I am also in music (vocal) which my passion as well. So I will choose a career, that won’t disturb my musicals. I am confused still.
I noted down all your corrections. I will update based on your suggestions.
Regarding step 2 and step 3, thanks for clarifying. I will work on step 2 and step 3 this week end simultaneously.
I will keep you posted on what I see and will send you my other documentation for your review as and when I complete.
Thanks,
Lakshita
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- Posts: 2068
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- Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
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Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Wow! Music, forensics and astronomy--what a great combination. I like them all. Forensic archeology is really cool. Seeing reconstructions of Neanderthals makes me wonder what they were like. Probably not that different from us with regard to the basics. Astronomy and astrophysics are incredibly interesting too (Neil Tyson and Michio Kaku are two of my favorites) but quite daunting because of the advanced math needed to master the subject. Good luck and keep me posted on your progress.
Let me know the outcome of your experiments and if you have any questions at all, be sure to send them right away. I hope you are successful with the stat tests because those are absolutely essential in science.
All the best,
Sybee
Let me know the outcome of your experiments and if you have any questions at all, be sure to send them right away. I hope you are successful with the stat tests because those are absolutely essential in science.
All the best,
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Sybee,
Thanks so much for your support and compliments. Definitely I will keep you posted on my career as well.
Regarding statistical tests, I have gone through little. But not really. I will make sure to include them in my project.
Can you please validate below and let me know if any corrections – Application to Life, Variables, Background information.
Application to Life:
When most people look at an orange peel as fodder for the trash can, the innovative product “Orange/Avocado peel mixture” (prepared using orange skin as the main element, and adding some lemon juice and avocado crust to the mix) is an all-natural and inexpensive alternative to the non-biodegradable super-absorbent polymers currently used to improve water retention in soil. This can be a revolutionary agricultural idea that could impact the African continent exponentially and could play an integral role in managing the effects of droughts (ex. starvation, economic losses). The solution is cheaper with a retail price of under $30 to $60 per ton and also proven to be a more effective water reservoir than existing SAPs. If the idea is commercialized and applied to real farms and real crops, the impact that drought has on crops would be reduced.
Variables:
Independent Variables: Type of Superabsorbent Polymers (Potassium Polyacrylate, Orange/Avocado peel powder, and Orange/Avocado peel mixture)
Dependent Variables:
The Average Fold Change of Water Absorption Capacity for various Superabsorbent Polymers
Average Soil Moisture for various Superabsorbent Polymers over a period of 21 days
Average Plant Growth for various Superabsorbent Polymers over a period of 21 days
Constants: Environmental location, Type of water (distilled water), Type of Oranges/Avocadoes/Lemon juice (Organic), Brand of Potassium Polyacrylate (H2OEcoGreen), Weight of each Superabsorbent Polymer (2 grams), Type and size of pots used (Jiffy Pots 4 inches), Type of soil (Top Soil), Brand of Potassium Polyacrylate (H2OEcoGreen), Amount of each Superabsorbent Polymer(2 tablespoon), Type of seeds used (Lima bean)
Control Group: Top Soil with no Superabsorbent Polymer added
Background Information:
Hydrogels are macromolecular cross-linked hydrophilic polymer chains. The most commercially successful hydrogels are superabsorbent polymers (SAPs/superabsorbent hydrogels). It can absorb water up to several hundred times of its own weight and turn into the natural gel from within seconds.
Polyacrylate is the principal material used in the SAP industry. Superabsorbent polyacrylates are prepared from acrylic acid and a crosslinker by solution or suspension polymerization. The type and quantity of crosslinker control both the swelling capacity and gel modulus.
Differences between 2 types of commercial synthetic superabsorbent polymers:
- Sodium polyacrylate will be decomposed into sodium salt which cause soil salinization and hence bad for soil.
Potassium polyacrylate (root watering crystals or water retention granules) contains Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen that releases the fertilizer efficiency slowly.
- Sodium polyacrylate is an absorbent material of diaper, sanitary napkins, etc.
Potassium polyacrylate is a water retaining agent for plants and soil amendment for improving soil physical and chemical properties.
Drawbacks for synthetic SAPs:
- Current manufacture is expensive
- It involves some toxic residual byproducts.
- It is expensive (USD3000-3500 per ton) per square feet. It should be used as per the prescribed dosage. The Process to mix Potassium Polyacrylate is very difficult for common farmers.
- Its absorbing capabilities reduces, if the water contains salts or any type of electrolytes.
- Current SAPs are all cross-linked by mean of chemicals which means they are NOT BIODEGRADABLE
There are efforts to develop "natural" or fully Biodegradable SAPs that might circumvent these limitations. SAPs based on polysaccharides are attracting increasing attention lately.
Commonly used natural polymers on day-to-day basis:
Gelatin: Jell-O, a brand name, is in general made by heating gelatin (processed collagen) in water.
Pectin: It is a heteropolysaccharide sugar found in the walls of plants which can be used as a gelling agent, especially in jams and jellies. Although many plants have pectin, the peel of citrus fruits such as oranges is particularly rich in pectin.
Websites and books researched:
“Hydrogel - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” Sciencedirect.Com, 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/hydrogel. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“What Are Super Absorbent Polymers (And Are They Safe?).” Hello Natural Living, 7 Mar. 2017, http://www.hellonaturalliving.com/what- ... they-safe/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.
“Post | Alsta Hydrogel.” Alsta Hydrogel, 2019, http://www.hydrogelagriculture.com/sing ... -Potassium. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“Biopolymer - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” Sciencedirect.Com, 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/biopolymer.
Arnon, Hadar, et al. “Development of Polysaccharides-Based Edible Coatings for Citrus Fruits: A Layer-by-Layer Approach.” Food Chemistry, vol. 166, Jan. 2015, pp. 465–472, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 4614009479, 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.061. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“Emulsion Polymerization | Chemistry | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/science/emulsion-polymerization.
Books:
Kumbar, Sangamesh, et al. Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers. Amsterdam;
Boston, Elsevier, 2014.
Reicosky, Don. Managing Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture. Volume 1, Fundamentals. Cambridge, Uk, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited, 2018.
Thanks really for your time.
Lakshita
Thanks so much for your support and compliments. Definitely I will keep you posted on my career as well.
Regarding statistical tests, I have gone through little. But not really. I will make sure to include them in my project.
Can you please validate below and let me know if any corrections – Application to Life, Variables, Background information.
Application to Life:
When most people look at an orange peel as fodder for the trash can, the innovative product “Orange/Avocado peel mixture” (prepared using orange skin as the main element, and adding some lemon juice and avocado crust to the mix) is an all-natural and inexpensive alternative to the non-biodegradable super-absorbent polymers currently used to improve water retention in soil. This can be a revolutionary agricultural idea that could impact the African continent exponentially and could play an integral role in managing the effects of droughts (ex. starvation, economic losses). The solution is cheaper with a retail price of under $30 to $60 per ton and also proven to be a more effective water reservoir than existing SAPs. If the idea is commercialized and applied to real farms and real crops, the impact that drought has on crops would be reduced.
Variables:
Independent Variables: Type of Superabsorbent Polymers (Potassium Polyacrylate, Orange/Avocado peel powder, and Orange/Avocado peel mixture)
Dependent Variables:
The Average Fold Change of Water Absorption Capacity for various Superabsorbent Polymers
Average Soil Moisture for various Superabsorbent Polymers over a period of 21 days
Average Plant Growth for various Superabsorbent Polymers over a period of 21 days
Constants: Environmental location, Type of water (distilled water), Type of Oranges/Avocadoes/Lemon juice (Organic), Brand of Potassium Polyacrylate (H2OEcoGreen), Weight of each Superabsorbent Polymer (2 grams), Type and size of pots used (Jiffy Pots 4 inches), Type of soil (Top Soil), Brand of Potassium Polyacrylate (H2OEcoGreen), Amount of each Superabsorbent Polymer(2 tablespoon), Type of seeds used (Lima bean)
Control Group: Top Soil with no Superabsorbent Polymer added
Background Information:
Hydrogels are macromolecular cross-linked hydrophilic polymer chains. The most commercially successful hydrogels are superabsorbent polymers (SAPs/superabsorbent hydrogels). It can absorb water up to several hundred times of its own weight and turn into the natural gel from within seconds.
Polyacrylate is the principal material used in the SAP industry. Superabsorbent polyacrylates are prepared from acrylic acid and a crosslinker by solution or suspension polymerization. The type and quantity of crosslinker control both the swelling capacity and gel modulus.
Differences between 2 types of commercial synthetic superabsorbent polymers:
- Sodium polyacrylate will be decomposed into sodium salt which cause soil salinization and hence bad for soil.
Potassium polyacrylate (root watering crystals or water retention granules) contains Potassium, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen that releases the fertilizer efficiency slowly.
- Sodium polyacrylate is an absorbent material of diaper, sanitary napkins, etc.
Potassium polyacrylate is a water retaining agent for plants and soil amendment for improving soil physical and chemical properties.
Drawbacks for synthetic SAPs:
- Current manufacture is expensive
- It involves some toxic residual byproducts.
- It is expensive (USD3000-3500 per ton) per square feet. It should be used as per the prescribed dosage. The Process to mix Potassium Polyacrylate is very difficult for common farmers.
- Its absorbing capabilities reduces, if the water contains salts or any type of electrolytes.
- Current SAPs are all cross-linked by mean of chemicals which means they are NOT BIODEGRADABLE
There are efforts to develop "natural" or fully Biodegradable SAPs that might circumvent these limitations. SAPs based on polysaccharides are attracting increasing attention lately.
Commonly used natural polymers on day-to-day basis:
Gelatin: Jell-O, a brand name, is in general made by heating gelatin (processed collagen) in water.
Pectin: It is a heteropolysaccharide sugar found in the walls of plants which can be used as a gelling agent, especially in jams and jellies. Although many plants have pectin, the peel of citrus fruits such as oranges is particularly rich in pectin.
Websites and books researched:
“Hydrogel - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” Sciencedirect.Com, 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/hydrogel. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“What Are Super Absorbent Polymers (And Are They Safe?).” Hello Natural Living, 7 Mar. 2017, http://www.hellonaturalliving.com/what- ... they-safe/. Accessed 9 Dec. 2019.
“Post | Alsta Hydrogel.” Alsta Hydrogel, 2019, http://www.hydrogelagriculture.com/sing ... -Potassium. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“Biopolymer - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” Sciencedirect.Com, 2016, www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/biopolymer.
Arnon, Hadar, et al. “Development of Polysaccharides-Based Edible Coatings for Citrus Fruits: A Layer-by-Layer Approach.” Food Chemistry, vol. 166, Jan. 2015, pp. 465–472, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ar ... 4614009479, 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.06.061. Accessed 23 Dec. 2019.
“Emulsion Polymerization | Chemistry | Britannica.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 2019, www.britannica.com/science/emulsion-polymerization.
Books:
Kumbar, Sangamesh, et al. Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers. Amsterdam;
Boston, Elsevier, 2014.
Reicosky, Don. Managing Soil Health for Sustainable Agriculture. Volume 1, Fundamentals. Cambridge, Uk, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Limited, 2018.
Thanks really for your time.
Lakshita
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Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Great job! My edited copy is attached with some corrections in grammar, word choice and punctuation.
I had a question about the pots. Were they the kind of Jiffy pot made with peat? If so they can lose moisture quickly because of the wicking effect of the peat. It would be better to use a standard 4” plastic pot like what you buy nursery plants in.
Another question was about your statement that the H2OEcoGreen potassium polyacrylate: “…contains potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen…” If it contains nitrogen and phosphorus as well as potassium, it will act as a fertilizer to stimulate plant growth. Check the label and if it contains fertilizer don’t use it.
When you have finished your write-up of the methods, results and conclusions, send those and I will edit them also.
Make it work!
Sybee
I had a question about the pots. Were they the kind of Jiffy pot made with peat? If so they can lose moisture quickly because of the wicking effect of the peat. It would be better to use a standard 4” plastic pot like what you buy nursery plants in.
Another question was about your statement that the H2OEcoGreen potassium polyacrylate: “…contains potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen…” If it contains nitrogen and phosphorus as well as potassium, it will act as a fertilizer to stimulate plant growth. Check the label and if it contains fertilizer don’t use it.
When you have finished your write-up of the methods, results and conclusions, send those and I will edit them also.
Make it work!
Sybee
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SciB
- Expert
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
- Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
- Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
- Project Due Date: n/a
- Project Status: Not applicable
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Lakshita,
One thing I forgot to mention was that I used Word's Track Changes when I edited your copy. I always use the Track Changes option for editing because then you can easily compare the original to the edited copy. I hope you know how to use it. If not there are plenty of online tutorials and I can answer any questions you have. Just be sure that you accept or delete the changes so that the editing marks don't show up in the printed copy.
Sybee
One thing I forgot to mention was that I used Word's Track Changes when I edited your copy. I always use the Track Changes option for editing because then you can easily compare the original to the edited copy. I hope you know how to use it. If not there are plenty of online tutorials and I can answer any questions you have. Just be sure that you accept or delete the changes so that the editing marks don't show up in the printed copy.
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Mr.Sybee,
Again thanks a bunch for your time and patience with me. Thanks for correcting my write-up. That really helped me.
- Yes I used word track to note down the changes.
- Yes sure, I will use plastic pots
- I wrote the statement about H2OEcoGreen potassium polyacrylate from google for my background information. When I saw the label I don’t see any mention about phosphorous and nitrogen.
- Yes I will write my other sections of write up and send it you this weekend.
I really hope this project should turn out good as expected. Will keep you posted.
Thanks,
Lakshita
Again thanks a bunch for your time and patience with me. Thanks for correcting my write-up. That really helped me.
- Yes I used word track to note down the changes.
- Yes sure, I will use plastic pots
- I wrote the statement about H2OEcoGreen potassium polyacrylate from google for my background information. When I saw the label I don’t see any mention about phosphorous and nitrogen.
- Yes I will write my other sections of write up and send it you this weekend.
I really hope this project should turn out good as expected. Will keep you posted.
Thanks,
Lakshita
-
SciB
- Expert
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
- Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
- Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
- Project Due Date: n/a
- Project Status: Not applicable
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
You are certainly welcome, Lakshita. I try very hard to write scientific English clearly and accurately so that even a nonscientist can understand most of it. Keep sending your write-up and I will continue to help by making suggestions. And if there is anything that you are not sure about or want more information on, please ask. When the judges ask you questions, I want you to be able to answer them thoughtfully and accurately.
Oh--there's something I just thought of to tell you, although you probably have already thought of it. The polyacrylate and the orange/avocado preparations will absorb water from the atmosphere so they need to be stored in airtight containers like mason jars with tight sealing lids. You probably are doing that, but I just thought I better say something to make sure because this could definitely alter the experimental results.
All the best,
Sybee
Oh--there's something I just thought of to tell you, although you probably have already thought of it. The polyacrylate and the orange/avocado preparations will absorb water from the atmosphere so they need to be stored in airtight containers like mason jars with tight sealing lids. You probably are doing that, but I just thought I better say something to make sure because this could definitely alter the experimental results.
All the best,
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Mr.Sybee,
Yes I got lot of minute details from your write-up. Thanks really for your time. You already mentioned me about storing polyacrylate in mason jars and I did that already .
I started with my second and third experiment. Can you please clarify the below:
1. For the experiment testing soil moisture retention over the period of 21 days, my question: Is it ok for me to record the soil moisture on 0 day and at 21st day or do you think I need to record for every 7 days so it will be for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days.
I was thinking to record for 0,21 days . For graphical representation, show that graphically as bar graph just the soil moisture for 21 days for 3 SAPs.
But in the data table, record for control and 3 Saps and show for 0,21 days. Please provide your thoughts.
2. Similarly for the third experiment, plant growth over the period of 21 days, my idea is to record plant height after germination and again record the plant height on 21st day. Is it ok?
or do you think I need to record for every 7 days so it will be for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days.
I was thinking to record for 0,21 days . For graphical representation, show that graphically as bar graph just the plant height for 21 days for 3 SAPs.
But in the data table, record for control and 3 Saps and show for 0,21 days.
Let me know your suggestions so I will proceed accordingly.
Thanks,
Lakshita
Yes I got lot of minute details from your write-up. Thanks really for your time. You already mentioned me about storing polyacrylate in mason jars and I did that already .
I started with my second and third experiment. Can you please clarify the below:
1. For the experiment testing soil moisture retention over the period of 21 days, my question: Is it ok for me to record the soil moisture on 0 day and at 21st day or do you think I need to record for every 7 days so it will be for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days.
I was thinking to record for 0,21 days . For graphical representation, show that graphically as bar graph just the soil moisture for 21 days for 3 SAPs.
But in the data table, record for control and 3 Saps and show for 0,21 days. Please provide your thoughts.
2. Similarly for the third experiment, plant growth over the period of 21 days, my idea is to record plant height after germination and again record the plant height on 21st day. Is it ok?
or do you think I need to record for every 7 days so it will be for 0, 7, 14 and 21 days.
I was thinking to record for 0,21 days . For graphical representation, show that graphically as bar graph just the plant height for 21 days for 3 SAPs.
But in the data table, record for control and 3 Saps and show for 0,21 days.
Let me know your suggestions so I will proceed accordingly.
Thanks,
Lakshita
-
SciB
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Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Lakshita,
I'm glad you are thinking about the presentation of experimental data. It is important to show the results in a way that people can easily grasp and understand. In my scientific career I have been accused of going overboard in collecting too much data--more time points than are really needed. But it has often happened that an event occurred during the experiment, like a peak followed by a drop-off, that I would have missed if I had only taken readings at time zero and at the final time.
So I think you can guess what I'm going to tell you--take the additional readings at 7 and 14 days! Really, in my opinion, you can't have too much data. Also, from an aesthetic standpoint plotting several time points that you can connect with a curve looks more convincing than 0 and 21 days. Statistically, a set of experimental points can be fitted with a curve by using a mathematical formula and two curves can be compared as an additional way to prove a difference.
I'm glad you appreciated my changes to your write-up. In addition to my other duties, I am a professional editor and manager of a company that reviews and improves the English in scientific manuscripts for researchers whose native language is not English. That is why I am able to take someone's writing and revise it according to correct English standards and good readability. Good communication is as important in science as rigorous experiments and I try to accomplish both. That is why I emphasized that you should learn about statistics.
Enough preaching! I want you to have fun and enjoy science too. Finding out new facts and stories that nobody else has seen is incredibly exciting and satisfying. The truth is all around us. We just have to train our brains to see it.
Keep posting!
Sybee
I'm glad you are thinking about the presentation of experimental data. It is important to show the results in a way that people can easily grasp and understand. In my scientific career I have been accused of going overboard in collecting too much data--more time points than are really needed. But it has often happened that an event occurred during the experiment, like a peak followed by a drop-off, that I would have missed if I had only taken readings at time zero and at the final time.
So I think you can guess what I'm going to tell you--take the additional readings at 7 and 14 days! Really, in my opinion, you can't have too much data. Also, from an aesthetic standpoint plotting several time points that you can connect with a curve looks more convincing than 0 and 21 days. Statistically, a set of experimental points can be fitted with a curve by using a mathematical formula and two curves can be compared as an additional way to prove a difference.
I'm glad you appreciated my changes to your write-up. In addition to my other duties, I am a professional editor and manager of a company that reviews and improves the English in scientific manuscripts for researchers whose native language is not English. That is why I am able to take someone's writing and revise it according to correct English standards and good readability. Good communication is as important in science as rigorous experiments and I try to accomplish both. That is why I emphasized that you should learn about statistics.
Enough preaching! I want you to have fun and enjoy science too. Finding out new facts and stories that nobody else has seen is incredibly exciting and satisfying. The truth is all around us. We just have to train our brains to see it.
Keep posting!
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Mr. Sybee,
Thanks for your clarification. Also I am glad, you are reviewing my write-up and making changes. As far as your insight into science, I completely agree! I enjoy the fact the science discovers why and how the world works around us! This is also why I want to pursue a career in the field. Thanks for your time. I'm lucky to have you as my mentor!
Regarding the data, I am planning to include standard error and standard deviation, along with mean, in my data table, but not on the graph. I am not planning on creating a statistical graph with curves to shows the progression over time. I will definitely look at it next year! I am planning on doing a bar graph. I think putting data from 0, 7, 14, and 21 days can be a little overwhelming for the audience to interpret easily. Taking this to mind, I want to simply put the soil moisture level at 21 days on the bar graph for each of the 3 SAPs. For the control group, I'm planning on including its data only on a table--not a graph. Is this okay? Please let me know if I'm having a proper thought process with respect to the bar graph.
Thanks,
Lakshita
Thanks for your clarification. Also I am glad, you are reviewing my write-up and making changes. As far as your insight into science, I completely agree! I enjoy the fact the science discovers why and how the world works around us! This is also why I want to pursue a career in the field. Thanks for your time. I'm lucky to have you as my mentor!
Regarding the data, I am planning to include standard error and standard deviation, along with mean, in my data table, but not on the graph. I am not planning on creating a statistical graph with curves to shows the progression over time. I will definitely look at it next year! I am planning on doing a bar graph. I think putting data from 0, 7, 14, and 21 days can be a little overwhelming for the audience to interpret easily. Taking this to mind, I want to simply put the soil moisture level at 21 days on the bar graph for each of the 3 SAPs. For the control group, I'm planning on including its data only on a table--not a graph. Is this okay? Please let me know if I'm having a proper thought process with respect to the bar graph.
Thanks,
Lakshita
-
SciB
- Expert
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
- Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
- Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
- Project Due Date: n/a
- Project Status: Not applicable
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Lakshita,
If you look at scientific papers published in the journals, certain kinds of data are always presented over a time course. This inclusion of data is important and usually required or the journal will not publish the paper.
In your case, a time course will make the trends for water retention and plant growth easier to see. Instead of just bars, you will plot each mean as one point with standard error bars above and below the mean value and connect the points with a line curve. This can easily be done on Excel and is really the best way to show the data.
Sybee
If you look at scientific papers published in the journals, certain kinds of data are always presented over a time course. This inclusion of data is important and usually required or the journal will not publish the paper.
In your case, a time course will make the trends for water retention and plant growth easier to see. Instead of just bars, you will plot each mean as one point with standard error bars above and below the mean value and connect the points with a line curve. This can easily be done on Excel and is really the best way to show the data.
Sybee
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Mr. Sybee,
Thanks for your clarification. I think I got it, but will send you my finished graph for checking. I will add standard error, standard deviation, and mean to both the data table and graph.
Thanks,
Lakshita
Thanks for your clarification. I think I got it, but will send you my finished graph for checking. I will add standard error, standard deviation, and mean to both the data table and graph.
Thanks,
Lakshita
-
SciB
- Expert
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 7:00 am
- Occupation: Retired molecular biologist, university researcher and teacher
- Project Question: I wish to join Scibuddies to be able to help students achieve the best science project possible and to understand the science behind it.
- Project Due Date: n/a
- Project Status: Not applicable
Re: Super-absorbent polymer prepared from orange peels
Hi Lakshita,
Thanks for checking. I want your project to be the best you can make it.
You can put standard deviations and standard errors in the table showing your data, but on the graph only use standard error (abbreviated SEM = standard error of the mean). If you put SD and SEM on the graph, it might be confusing. When you use Excel to plot the data, each mean will be one point on the curve and each point will have error bars one SEM above and one SEM below. This spread indicates to the viewer where the 95% confidence interval extends. Two means may look different, but if their error bars overlap, they probably are not different. That is when you do a statistical test to compare the two means to decide if they really are different.
I will help you with this later and you can watch some video lectures that explain about this until it becomes clear in your mind. I keep saying how important these statistical analyses are in science, and it is true as you will see. Your teacher will agree, and can also help you with specific questions and on using Excel if you are not familiar with it. There are other graphing packages with stat calculations, but most people have Excel and it will do almost everything for a basic analysis.
Good luck!
Sybee
Thanks for checking. I want your project to be the best you can make it.
You can put standard deviations and standard errors in the table showing your data, but on the graph only use standard error (abbreviated SEM = standard error of the mean). If you put SD and SEM on the graph, it might be confusing. When you use Excel to plot the data, each mean will be one point on the curve and each point will have error bars one SEM above and one SEM below. This spread indicates to the viewer where the 95% confidence interval extends. Two means may look different, but if their error bars overlap, they probably are not different. That is when you do a statistical test to compare the two means to decide if they really are different.
I will help you with this later and you can watch some video lectures that explain about this until it becomes clear in your mind. I keep saying how important these statistical analyses are in science, and it is true as you will see. Your teacher will agree, and can also help you with specific questions and on using Excel if you are not familiar with it. There are other graphing packages with stat calculations, but most people have Excel and it will do almost everything for a basic analysis.
Good luck!
Sybee