Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am helping a fifth grade student with project found on your web site - Goo-Be-Gone: Cleaning Up Oil Spills.

Research done by student reveals there are three types of sorbents - natural organic, natural inorganic and synthetic. Natural organics can absorb 3-12 times their weight in oil. Natural inorganics can absorb 4-20 times their weight in oil. Synthetics can absorb up to 70 times their weight in oil.

Items being tested are hair, cotton balls, paper towels, perlite and polypropylene. Student hypothesizes polypropylene will absorb the most oil from water.

How detailed should the hypothesis be? Student's idea is along the lines of "Polypropylene, a synthetic sorbent, will absorb more oil from water than the organic and inorganic sorbents tested".

Is this good way to state hypothesis? Does it need more detail?

Hi,
The hypothesis, "Polypropylene, a synthetic sorbent, will absorb more oil from water than the organic and inorganic sorbents tested" is sufficient as a hypothesis. If you would like, you may add a little more detail in the way this will be determined. For example, you may say "Polypropylene, a synthetic sorbent, will absorb more oil than the organic and inorganic sorbents when it is placed in a liquid mixture of oil and water," or something to that extent. I hope this helps! Good luck on the project!

Cheers,
Jon

Jon,
Thanks for your reply. Nice to know we are on right track and appreciated your addition.

In addition to the advice Jon gave you, I wanted to give the url for the Science Buddies information on writing a hypothesis:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... esis.shtml

There are some good examples on this page!

Amy
Science Buddies