Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

hi my name is sabrina and i need some help on my musical sci project.
my project is to determine if different types of music can affect a person's heart rate.I think this is a good project except for the fact that i wouldn't know how to begin to read a person's heart rate. I mean, is there a type of machine that does that sort of thing?And of there is can you please tell me what it is and if where i could possibly get a object like this.Or if there is a subsitute machine that can serves the same purpose but is smaller. Oh also what kind of title should i give this project?

sabrinas wrote:hi my name is sabrina and i need some help on my musical sci project.
my project is to determine if different types of music can affect a person's heart rate.I think this is a good project except for the fact that i wouldn't know how to begin to read a person's heart rate. I mean, is there a type of machine that does that sort of thing?And of there is can you please tell me what it is and if where i could possibly get a object like this.Or if there is a subsitute machine that can serves the same purpose but is smaller. Oh also what kind of title should i give this project?

Hello, Sabrina!

Your project idea sounds very interesting. Simple pulse-rate monitors are available in many stores that sell fitness equipment. I quick search of Amazon.com showed one fingertip unit for about $20. Something like that would be adequate for your project.

As for a title, I am of the opinion that the better project titles come from the question the project is trying to answer or hypothesis a project is trying to prove. I think you should work on forming a good question or hypothesis to guide your project decisions. The title will flow naturally from that.

Best wishes for success on your project!

sabrinas wrote:hi my name is sabrina and i need some help on my musical sci project.
my project is to determine if different types of music can affect a person's heart rate.I think this is a good project except for the fact that i wouldn't know how to begin to read a person's heart rate. I mean, is there a type of machine that does that sort of thing?And of there is can you please tell me what it is and if where i could possibly get a object like this.Or if there is a subsitute machine that can serves the same purpose but is smaller. Oh also what kind of title should i give this project?

Hello, again, Sabrina!

After I posted the previous response I thought I should be more specific about my suggestion for a question or hypothesis.

To use another project as an example, I might pose the question, "How does petting a dog affect blood pressure?" Then I would design an experiment intended to measure the blood pressures of various people in a controlled environment (each participant sitting in the same chair in the same room for the same amount of time) while changing one variable--whether or not they were petting the dog. I'd measure their pressure before and after and compare.

Alternately, I could formulate a hypothesis and set out to prove it. Thinking about the effect of petting a dog, I might make the statement, "Petting a dog lowers your blood pressure." I would design the experiment in the same way, but I'd be looking at the results differently--did I prove my hypothesis or not?

I hope this helps.