How Long Does It Take To Remember Something?

By thinknut.blogspot.com
How Long Does It Take To Remember Something?

 

Objective:

In this experiment, students will discover the average time it takes for a person to remember something completely.

Research Questions:

In this experiment, we will give each test subject a passage to memorize to the best of their ability, in one sitting. Some people say that a person has to recite something 20 times for it to be permanently stored in their brain. But is this true?

Materials:

• A chosen passage of about 50 words (you can create one yourself or pick a pre-written passage, but remember not to choose a popular passage that some people may have already memorized)
• Test subjects
• A watch/timer
• Pen and paper for notes

Experimental Procedure:

1. Hand out the chosen word passage to your test subject and ask them to remember it to the best of their ability. Instruct them to tell you when they are comfortable with reciting the passage. Begin timing.
2. When your test subject is ready to recite it, record the time.
3. As your subject recites the passage, take note of any pauses or mistakes in your notes. If your test subject makes excessive mistakes, give them more time to study the passage, record the additional time, and then have them recite again.
4. Do steps 1-3 for all your test subjects.
5. Calculate the average time it took for all your test subjects to recite the passage with 100% accuracy.
6. Evaluate your results.

Terms/Concepts: Memory; Sensory memory; Short term memory; Long term memory

 

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By thinknut.blogspot.com

How to build a Solar Bottle Bulb ???

          Light up dark areas in your home during daytime using this green and sustainable concept. Recycle used clear plastic soda bottles, add water+bleach, then install. After installation this solar light bulb can provide approximately 55 watts of light from the sun! T

 

he communities who benefit from this idea live in areas where the houses hardly have windows and live in darkness even during daytime. Their solution up until this innovation was to turn on the light bulb and use electricity.

You Will Need :

• PET soda bottle
• Galvanized Iron (GI) sheet
• Rubber sealant
• Bleach
• Filtered Water

Process :

Cut approximately 9 x 10 inches of GI sheet (corrugated or flat). 

At the center of the GI sheet, draw 2 circles.

And Cut the internal circle.

Cut the 1 cm difference radially, making strips and bend upwards, perpendicular to the GI sheet.

Using sandpaper, scratch the surface around the upper third portion of the soda bottle where the GI sheet will be placed, to allow the rubber sealant to stick better.

Insert the bottle into the GI sheet until the upper third.

Apply rubber sealant on the strips above and around the area below. Wait to dry.

Fill the soda bottle with filtered water and ~10 mL (2 capfuls) of bleach.

Cover with its original cap.

The solar bottle bulb is now ready for installation !

Installation :

Cut a hole on the roof, similar to the bottle circumference.

Place the solar bottle bulb into the hole. Make sure it is firmly in place.

Drill 4 holes on each side of the solar bottle bulb using Bosch lithium-ion cordless drill and put in the rivets.

Apply rubber sealant around all edges of the GI sheet of the solar bottle bulb to avoid leakage. Make sure to cover the rivets.

Place a protective plastic tube on the bottle cap and apply rubber sealant.

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How to Take a Fingerprint with a Pencil ???

By thinknut.blogspot.com

How to Take a Fingerprint with a Pencil ???

 

If you want to take fingerprints of people, use this recipe. It's different then most! It's very easy.

You Will Need :

• A number 2 pencil
• Tape
• Paper

Process :

With the pencil, scribble a square a little bigger then the thumbprint. You want to have it nice and dark. Rub your finger on the square until your whole thumbprint is covered in the lead. Make sure your thumb is covered in the lead. Put your finger on the tape until your print is on there. Stick the tape on the piece of white paper. You just took a fingerprint! 

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How to make Solar water distillation

By thinknut.blogspot.com
Solar water distillation

 It is a device that produces distilled water with solar radiation. It is made with glass bottles or containers or recycled plastic. The device traps water evaporated from the soil and deposit it on the inside. Moisture condenses on the interior walls and falls as drops and directed by the walls to the ground again.The system saves huge amounts of water for irrigation and grow plants that need to grow the best quality of water

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Auto oxygen circle to plants

By thinknut.blogspot.com
Auto oxygen circle to plants

Pakistan Science Club.

September 2

Idea to keep the soil moist for plants using plastic bottles

www.paksc.org
www.facebook.com/pakscienceclub

Idea to keep the soil moist for plants using plastic bottles

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How to extract DNA from Spinach!

By thinknut.blogspot.com

Extract DNA from Spinach!

                 

Did you know that you can extract DNA from any living thing from the comfort of your family's own kitchen? DNA is the genetic coding that determines that a human embryo will become a man, a bird embryo will become a robin, etc. Show your child how a quick whirl of spinach in the blender will reveal this cobwebby "stuff" of life! So go ahead—play with food! This food experiment will have her so captivated that she won't even realize she's learning life science.

What You Need:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Blender
• Timer
• 1/2 cup fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons dish washing soap
• Pinch of meat tenderizer
• Strainer
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Clear glass measuring cup

What You Do:

1. Have your child blend the water, salt, and spinach together in the blender at a high speed until she has created a "soupy" mixture.
2. Help her pour the concoction through a strainer into the glass measuring cup. Ask her to add the dish washing soap and set a timer for ten minutes.
3. Invite your child to add a pinch of meat tenderizer to the mixture; she should combine it slowly and completely.
4. Observe and discuss the present state of the mixture. How much volume is in the cup now? Have your child very carefully add exactly that amount of rubbing alcohol.
5. Ask your child to set the timer for three minutes. What does she see in the cup? If there is a white cobwebby substance, that's DNA! You will also notice that the mixture becomes somewhat murky.

What's going on? What made the DNA appear? By completely blending the spinach, your child broke the substance down to its simplest cellular structure. The soap helped to further access the DNA, and the alcohol made the strands adhere to each other. Voilà! Feel free to preserve the DNA "soup" as long as your child would like!    

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What is Your Lung Volume?

 By thinknut.blogspot.com

What is Your Lung Volume? Do you think you're fit and healthy? Let's test your lung volume to find out. Just how much air can your lungs can hold? With the help of a few simple household objects, some scientific know how and a dash of curiosity you can make this experiment look easy.

Sponsored Links

What you'll need: Clean plastic tubing A large plastic bottle Water Kitchen sink or large water basin Instructions: Make sure the plastic tubing is clean Put about 10cm of water into your kitchen sink. Fill the plastic bottle right to the top with water. Put your hand over the top of the bottle to stop water escaping when you turn it upside down. Turn the bottle upside down. Place the top of the bottle under the water in the sink before removing your hand. Push one end of the plastic tube into the bottle. Take a big breath in. Breathe out as much air as you can through the tube. Measure the volume of air your lungs had in them. Make sure you clean up the area to finish. What's happening? As you breathe out through the tube, the air from your lungs takes the place of the water in the bottle. If you made sure you took a big breath in and breathed out fully then the resulting volume of water you pushed out is equivalent to how much air your lungs can hold. Having a big air capacity in your lungs means you can distribute oxygen around your body at a faster rate. The air capacity of lungs (or VO2 max) increases naturally as children grow up but can also be increased with regular exercise.

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Why Doesn't the Ocean Freeze

                                By thinknut.blogspot.com

Why Doesn't the Ocean Freeze

                

    

In many parts of the world, winter temperatures drop low enough to make rivers and lakes freeze. And in those same parts of the world, where even those waters freeze, the ocean waters will not. Think about the pictures you’ve seen of the Arctic region. Most of the earth’s Arctic region is a frozen tundra, except the ocean. Why?
Is it because the water is always moving? Rivers move, yet they can still freeze (at least at the surface!). So what makes the ocean waters so different that at the subzero temperatures, they remain unfrozen?

Problem:

Why doesn’t the ocean freeze?

Materials:

• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 large plastic bowls
• Freezer
• Spoon
• Dry-erase marker

Procedure:

1. Label the bowls “Bowl 1” and “Bowl 2.”
2. Measure out 4 cups of water.
3. Pour the water into Bowl 1.
4. Pour 4 more cups of water into Bowl 2.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to Bowl 2 a little at the time, stirring until the salt is completely dissolved.
6. Leave both bowls in the freezer overnight.
7. Check to see if both bowls are frozen.
8. Record your results.

Results:

The water in Bowl 1 should have frozen. Bowl 2’s water should still be liquid.

Why?

The water in Bowl 2 approximates the same concentration of salt found in the ocean’s water. Salt is the key to understanding our experiment’s results! Here’s why: The more salt in the water, the lower the temperature has to be for the water to freeze.
This is why the ocean doesn’t freeze: There’s too much salt in it. Bodies of water located farther inland like islands and rivers have less salt in them, allowing them to freeze when the temperature drops to 0 degrees Celsius.

Digging Deeper

The beauty of science is that we never run out of opportunities to learn. Try repeating this experiment with several bowls of water of varying salt concentrations. Which ones freeze? Which ones remain liquid?

Disclaimer and Safety Precautions

Education.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. Education.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against Education.com that arise thereof. In addition, your access to Education.com’s website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by Education.com’s Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on Education.com’s liability.

Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state’s handbook of Science Safety.

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How to Determining Earth's Size and Shape

                                        By thinknut.blogspot.com

Ancient Techniques of Determining Earth's Size and Shape

                

In ancient times many natural phenomena were explained by weaving myths about what was observed. As time passed, more practical applications were based on observations, such as using stars as points of reference when traveling. The Greeks were noted for applications of geometric measurement that were amazingly accurate in describing the size and motion of the Earth and other planets.
In this project, you will calculate the circumference and radius of a circle using the geometric method Eratosthenes used to determine the circumference and radius of the Earth. You will learn how to calculate the angle of a shadow. Following Eratosthenes' example of using the difference in the angle of shadows cast in different cities at the same hour, you will determine the circumference of the Earth for yourself. You will learn how a lunar eclipse was used to verify the shape of the Earth.

Getting Started

Purpose: To learn Eratosthenes' geometric method of determining the arc between two cities on the same meridian.

Materials

• Roll of masking tape
• Scissors
• Sheet of typing paper
• Pen
• Metric ruler
• Protractor

Procedure

1. Lay the roll of tape flat in the center of the paper and trace around it with the pen.
2. Find the center of the circle drawn on the paper by folding the circle in half twice: first fold the circle from top to bottom, then fold again from side to side.
3. Unfold the paper and mark a point in the center where the fold lines cross. Label this point A.
4. Lay the ruler across the circle with its bottom edge on the horizontal fold line.
5. Mark two points on the circumference of the circle where the top and bottom edges of the ruler touch the one side of the circle. Label the points B and C, as shown in Figure 8.1.
6. Use the ruler to draw a line from point A to each of the points B and C. Extend the lines 5 cm or more outside the perimeter of the circle to points D and F (see Figure 8.1).
7. From points B and D, draw lines perpendicular to the circle and parallel to line FC. Mark point E as shown.
8. Use the protractor to measure the angles between angle CAB and EBD (see Figure 8.1).

Results

The degrees of an arc are determined.

Why?

Eratosthenes (276-194 B.C.), a librarian at the museum in Alexandria, Egypt, used a geometric method similar to the one in this experiment to determine the degrees of arc (part of a circle) between two cities, Syene (Aswan) and Alexandria. He believed that the Earth is a sphere. His method involved using the difference in the angle of shadows cast at the same hour in the cities. Eratosthenes learned that at noon on the summer solstice (June 21), the Sun's reflection could be seen in the water at the bottom of a well in Syene (Aswan). This meant that the Sun was exactly overhead at that time and no shadows were cast. Thus, the Sun's rays were perpendicular to the well and in line with the radius of the Earth, represented by line CA in this experiment. He observed that at the same time in Alexandria, a tall pillar cast a shadow. Eratosthenes knew that the pillar was perpendicular to the Earth's surface and thus in line with the radius of the Earth. Since sunlight comes from such a great distance, sun rays are parallel to each other when they reach the Earth. Because the Earth's surface is curved, there is an angle between the pillar and the parallel Sun's rays. This angle is represented by the shadow angle in this experiment, which is equal to angle EBD and angle CAB at the center of the circle. With this information, he determined the angle of the arc between Syene and Alexandria using the angle of the pillar's shadow. In this experiment, angle CAB, angle EBD, and the shadow's angle are 31°, but the angle measured by Eratosthenes was only 7°. Thus, the arc between the two cities was determined to be 7°.

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How to Determine the Effect of Wind on Measuring Rainfall

                                                       By thinknut.blogspot.com

How to Determine the Effect of Wind on Measuring Rainfall

                

What You Need to Know

A gauge is a scale of measurement. A rain gauge is a device used to collect and measure rainfall.

How Does a Rain Gauge Work?

Rainfall measurement is the depth of accumulated rainfall in a period of time. Because rain generally sinks into the ground, runs off the surface into streams, collects in low areas, or evaporates, the amounts of rainfall cannot be measured with accuracy in natural places. Instead, a rain gauge is used. A rain gauge is usually a cylinder with a scale in inches or millimeters on its side. The diagram below shows two types of rain gauges, one with a funnel-shape top and the other with straight sides.

For a gauge like rain gauge A, the actual height of the rain collected in the cylinder is equal to the amount of rainfall. Rain gauge A shows 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water, thus the rainfall measurement is 1 inch (2.5 cm). Rain gauges with funnels, like rain gauge B, are used to collect and measure small amounts of rainfall. In gauges with a funnel top, the height of the water in the cylinder does not equal the amount of rainfall. Instead, the ratio of the diameter of the cylinder to the diameter of the funnel is used to make the measurement. To determine the amount of rainfall per 1 division on the scale of the rain gauge: (1) write down the ratio, (2) express the ratio as a fraction, and (3) divide the denominator of the fraction into the numerator. For example, if the ratio is 1:10, the scale would be determined as follows:

• 1:10 = 1 inch of rainfall/10 inch height of water in the cylinder

•         = 0.1 inch of rainfall / 1 inch height of water in the

•            cylinder

Rainfall is usually described as either light, moderate, or heavy. Light rainfall is less than 0.10 inches (0.25 cm) of rain per hour. Moderate rainfall measures 0.10 to 0.30 inches (0.25 to 0.85 cm) of rain per hour, and heavy rainfall is more than 0.30 inches (0.85 cm) of rain per hour.

What Does This Have to Do with the Effect of Wind on Measuring Rainfall?

A rain gauge measures the amount of rainfall in a specified period of time. This means the amount of rain that would accumulate on a level surface if none of the rain soaked in, ran off, or evaporated. Catching rain that falls vertically is not a problem. But what about rain that is being blown by the wind and falls at an angle? Does this affect the amount collected?

Fun Fact

One inch (2.5 cm) of rainfall produces 4.7 gallons (17.9 L) of water per square yard or 22,650 gallons (86,070 L) of water per acre.

Real-Life Science Challenge

It's a challenge to measure rainfall at sea where it must be measured on ships. The motion of the ship presents a problem. Special rain gauges have been designed to improve the accuracy of rainfall measurement on moving ships, but better methods are still needed.

Experiment

Now, start experimenting with determining the effect of wind on measuring rainfall.
Hints

• Design and build a rain gauge.
• A spray mister can be used to simulate rainfall.
• A fan can be used to simulate wind.

Disclaimer and Safety Precautions
thinknut.blogspot.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. thinknut.blogspot.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against thinknut.blogspot.com hat arise thereof. In addition, your access to thinknut.blogspot.com  website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by thinknut.blogspot.com Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on thinknut.blogspot.com’s liability.

Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state’s handbook of Science Safety.

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Homemade rain level indicator

                                     

                                                       By thinknut.blogspot.com


DIY Rain Gauge

                

 

 

Grade Level: 4th to 8th; Type: Meteorology

Objective:

Students make their own rain gauge to measure rainfall. Research Questions: How is rainfall measured?

Materials:

• Empty two-liter plastic bottle Scissors
• A few handfuls of clean pebbles, gravel, or marbles
• Masking tape
• Water
• Ruler
• Permanent marker
• Rainy weather
• Paper and pencil

Experimental Procedure:

Carefully use the scissors to cut the top of the bottle off at the wide part just below where it begins to get narrow.
Put the pebbles in the bottom of the bottle—these will help keep it from getting blown over if it’s windy.
Turn the top of the bottle upside down—make sure there’s no cap on it! It’s going to act like a funnel—and place it in the bottom part of the bottle, pointing downward. Line up the cut edges and tape them together so the top part is held firmly in place.
Use a long piece of tape to make a straight vertical line from the top edge of the bottle to the bottom. Use the marker to draw a line on the vertical piece of tape just a little above the top of the pebbles. This will be the bottom of your rain gauge.
Set the ruler against the vertical tape so that the “0” line lines up with the bottom mark. Use the marker to mark every quarter-inch (or, if you want to get fancy, every eighth-inch) along the piece of tape. Then label the inches from bottom to top. (Alternatively, you can mark centimeters and half-centimeters instead.)
Set the bottle on a level surface and pour some water in until it reaches the bottom mark. Your rain gauge is now ready to go!
Put the rain gauge outdoors—you’ll need to pick a really good spot! You want somewhere level that’s open to the sky and that’s not likely to get too windy, where the gauge isn’t likely to be disturbed. There shouldn’t be anything hanging over the gauge that could either block any rain or make extra raindrops drip into the bottle (like a tree or a power line or the edge of a roof).
Pay attention to the forecast. On a day that you’re likely to get rain, make sure the water in the bottom hasn’t evaporated below your bottom mark; if it has, refill it to that mark.
24 hours later, if it has rained, check your gauge and see how high the water is now. That’s how much rain has fallen in the last day! On your piece of paper, make a note of the date and the amount of rain. Then read the newspaper or go online and find out the official amount of rainfall in your area for the day and make a note of it—see how closely your figure matches the official one!
Repeat steps 7-9 for several rainy days.
Terms/Concepts: rainfall, rain gauge
References: What’s Up? 45 Hands-On Science Experiments That Explore Weather, by B. K. Hixson, pp. 82-83 (Loose in the Lab Science Series, 2003).

Disclaimer and Safety Precautions

thinknut.blogspot.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. thinknut.blogspot.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against thinknut.blogspot.com that arise thereof. In addition, your access to thinknut.blogspot.com s website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by thinknut.blogspot.com  Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on thinknut.blogspot.com’s liability.

Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state’s handbook of Science Safety.

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