Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

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EllaR8
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Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by EllaR8 »

This year I have to participate in the science fair.
I'm interested in doing the Disinfectants project (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... infectants)
I was wondering what is the best bacteria to test the disinfectants on? Should I grow bacteria or find a surface in my house (which could make the project more relatable)
Also I was thinking about maybe testing hand sanitizer or wet wipes, what would be best for this project? (I cannot do a human study)
Please respond ASAP!
Thanks!
kstromberg
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Re: Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by kstromberg »

Bacteria from various surfaces would probably be the best for this project, as it can be hard to obtain pure stocks of bacteria.

When starting a science project, it's always best to have an idea of what question you want to ask. Some examples you could do based off of this project would be, "Which household surface does disinfectant of choice clean the most efficiently?" With this project, you could stick to one disinfectant and test various surfaces (kitchen counter, bathroom counter, toilet handle, door knob, etc.) or you could do something like "Which household cleaner works best for cleaning surface of choice? and stick to one surface, but use various cleaners (such as lysol, bleach, 70% ethanol, etc.)

Once you have your question picked, determine your dependent and independent variable then form a hypothesis. Also, make a list of materials you will need and make sure you are able to gather these (such as plates to grow the bacteria on).
kstromberg
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Re: Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by kstromberg »

To further clarify, for the second question, I mean swab the household surface before and after cleaning with disinfectant and determine which one has less bacterial growth.
EllaR8
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Re: Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by EllaR8 »

How would I measure the difference in bacterial growth?
kstromberg
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Re: Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by kstromberg »

The best way to do this would be to spread the bacteria onto a plate and count the number of bacterial colonies that grow and compare this between groups.
EllaR8
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Re: Disinfectants Science Project *please respond quickly*

Post by EllaR8 »

Is there another way to test cleaning products or hand sanitizer?
I don't think doing a science project with bacteria is allowed.
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