MATERIALS:
- 1 litre of Ocean water
- 1 litre of Lake or River water
- 30 Popsicle sticks
- 2 Plastic container (approximately 8x5x6 inches)
- Measuring cup
- Weight scale
- 5 kilograms of Dirt
- 1 small shovel
- 4 feet of String
- 1 bucket
- 2 Chairs
- 2 Thermometer
METHOD AND PROCEDURES:
Setting up the Experiment
Setting up the Experiment
- Pour 1 litre of ocean water into a plastic container.
- Pour 1 litre of river water into another plastic container
- Deposit 15 popsicle sticks into each container and make sure to fully submerge each stick
- Leave both containers in a room without a lid at 20 degrees celsius
- Place a thermometer in each container to make sure the temperature is consistent.
Conducting the Experiment
- A week after the popsicle sticks have been soaked, take 3 popsicle sticks out of each container.
- Attach a piece of string to the middle of each stick by tying a knot, making sure the strings are able to support the weight that will be added later.
- Start with the 3 popsicle sticks from the ocean water.
- Attach the first popsicle stick to a bucket’s handle using the other end of the string.
- Put two chairs back to back so that the popsicle sticks can be hovered between the cracks.
- Place the first popsicle stick on top, in between the two chairs with the bucket hanging below it.
- Use a shovel to slowly pour dirt into the bucket, making sure that it is sifted through and no huge chunks are falling at a time.
- Keep adding dirt until the popsicle starts to bend and sink towards the ground.
- After the stick starts to sink, wait ten seconds before adding more dirt
- Continue this process until the popsicle stick snaps.
- Remove the stick and the bucket from the suspended chairs
- Remove the stick from the bucket
- Place the bucket of dirt onto a scale.
- Note down how much weight the popsicle stick was able to withstand before breaking.
- Repeat steps 4-13 with the 2 other popsicle sticks of the same experimental group, and the 3 popsicle sticks from the other experimental group.
- Two weeks after the start of the experiment repeat steps 2-14
- Three weeks after the start of the experiment repeat steps 2-14
- Four weeks after the start of the experiment repeat steps 2-14
Figure 1
Figure 1 displays the first week after the start of the experiment. Three sticks from each container were taken out and prepped for weight trials.
Figure 1 displays the first week after the start of the experiment. Three sticks from each container were taken out and prepped for weight trials.
Figure 2
Figure 2 shows Ocean Water sample trial #2 hanging from two supporting chairs. Initial weight is put on but shows no sign of breaking the stick.
Figure 2 shows Ocean Water sample trial #2 hanging from two supporting chairs. Initial weight is put on but shows no sign of breaking the stick.
Figure 3
Figure 3 shows the top view of Fresh water sample trial #1 hanging from two supporting chairs. The initial weight is also tried on this one but showed no sign of breakage yet.
Figure 3 shows the top view of Fresh water sample trial #1 hanging from two supporting chairs. The initial weight is also tried on this one but showed no sign of breakage yet.
Figure 4
Figure 4 shows the aftermath of day 21, 3rd week after the start of the experiment. the Breaks are fairly clean for the Ocean water sample
Figure 4 shows the aftermath of day 21, 3rd week after the start of the experiment. the Breaks are fairly clean for the Ocean water sample
Figure 5
Figure 5 shows the remains of the 3 trials for the Fresh water sample after the 3rd week. The breaks are not as smooth as the Ocean water ones and the wood strands seem extremely hair like.
Figure 5 shows the remains of the 3 trials for the Fresh water sample after the 3rd week. The breaks are not as smooth as the Ocean water ones and the wood strands seem extremely hair like.