Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

My son has won first place for 5th/6th grade and best of show for the same. We are moving on to district competition which is grades 5 through 8. We did the mummy experiment with salts/baking soda. Our first experiment was wrong; anaerobic decomposition. We conducted a second experiment whicwas done correctly. We recorded our info, took pictures and even had an uncontrolled variable (our collie snatched a hot dog and ran with it!) His experiment showed that he learned a "wealth of information" from factors other than just a regular experiment.

During both experiments we determined that the best mummy is made with Epsom salts only. We are thinking about conducting a third experiment and wondered if we should try to determine or study why Epsom salts are better than table salt or baking soda. We are looking at the chemical makeup of magnesium sulfate versus sodium chloride and does the oxygen content in the Epsom salt have anything to do with it.

We need to know if this is a good extension from our first experiment or if we should do something else. We also thought about comparing hot dogs to chicken legs because of the bone and two layers in a chicken.

We are worried about competing against 8th graders.

Also, can you provide us with any links or info on magnesium sulfates versus sodium chlorides and their dessicating abilities.

Thanks

I would like to congratulate you on your project. You planned and executed an experiment, asked further questions and modified your experiment to gain more information. Good work.

The following sites may help you

1. [PDF]
MUMMIFICATION PRACTICES AT KELLIS SITE IN EGYPT’S DAKHLEH OASIS
File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - View as HTML
carbonate, bicarbonate and chloride salts of sodium. Body water was removed by the .... Resin has no intrinsic desiccating properties. The purpose ...
jan.ucc.nau.edu/gdc/ssea/vol31/aufderheidearticle1.pdf - Similar pages
by AC Aufderheide - Related articles

2. Death and Mummification in Egypt
It is often assumed that the natural desiccation of a body left in the hot ... Sodium Bicarbonate with some Sodium Sulphate and Sodium Chloride) and the ... I have not caused destruction: I have not plundered the divine property of the ...
users.bigpond.net.au/bstone/Death_and_Mummification.htm - 33k - Cached - Similar pages

3. [PDF]
Sections of mummy
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with impurities of sodium chloride and sodium. sulphate. Use of natron is a very effective. means of desiccating and preserving ... In mummification,. however, tissue was desiccated using ... properties, natron has a pH of 9–10, which ...
http://www.ibms.org/pdf/bs_articles_200 ... _apr06.pdf - Similar pages
by DR Subsequently - 2006 - Related articles

1. [PDF]
Effective Mummification Compounds Used in Pharaonic Egypt ...
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efficacy of the preceding mummification process. The desiccation procedure has been extensively ..... disinfectant properties. Additionally, the phenolic ..... Tris acetate (pH 7.4), 2 mm magnesium acetate and 0.1% (v/v) Triton X-100. ...
www.znaturforsch.com/ab/v58b/s58b0462.pdf - Similar pages
by J Koller - Cited by 2 - Related articles - All 5 versions

Matthew Mulanax

Congratulations on the science fair win! That's exciting, and it's great to hear that you had such success using a project idea from the Science Buddies site. I'm posting a link here so that experts can easily reference the project you did... and hopefully weigh in with some thoughts on how you are planning to extend it for district competition.

Minding your Mummies: The Science of Mummification
https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p022.shtml

Amy
Science Buddies

According to the wikipedia site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_sulfate, sodium chlorides are more efficient, but slower-acting, than the similar agent magnesium sulfate. ...,however, this is wikipedia so you would have to look at the references before you decide to site it as a reliable source. I would recommend doing extensive research on both sodium chloride and magnesium sulfate and then forming a hypothesis based on that. Hope this was of some help, this sounds like such an interesting topic, I hope your son goes far. Good Luck!