Question about Disinfectants activity

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hava00900
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Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2022 5:20 pm
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Question about Disinfectants activity

Post by hava00900 »

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I am currently doing the project where i test different disinfectants and see which one kills the most bacteria, but i’m not sure how to graph that? I’m using a microscope to see which one works the best but i have to make a graph as well.




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koneill18
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Re: Question about Disinfectants activity

Post by koneill18 »

Hello!

To graph your data, you have to find a way to quantify it, meaning you have to translate your results into numbers. Usually when people test out different disinfectants, they grow bacteria on a petri dish, apply the disinfectant to the bacteria, and then measure the amount of clear space that appears around the spot where the disinfectant was applied. Those clear zones correspond to dead bacteria.

Could you explain how you're using the microscope to determine which disinfectant worked the best? Are you just looking at different surfaces and seeing how many bacteria are there? If your microscope is powerful enough, you can try to count the number of bacteria on the surface before and after you apply the disinfectant to see which one works the best. Then you can make a bar graph showing the percentage of bacteria that each disinfectant killed. If counting individual bacteria is too much, you could estimate what percentage of the total surface area is covered with bacteria.
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