Names: Jackson Barry, Cole Miller, Sultan Hashmi, Greg Dachtler

Greg Dachtler
11/3/14
7
Saura

UV Bead Lab
Problem/Background:
UV radiation is the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible
light and x-rays. The three types of UV radiation that we get on the ground are: UVC
(220-290 nm), UVB (290-320), and UVA (320-400 nm). UVC is the most dangerous,
but it is completely absorbed in the atmosphere, so UVB is the most dangerous that
we will encounter (GD). The amount of UV radiation that we get from the sun varies
depending on factors like time of day, year, the season, latitude, altitude, and
weather (GD). Some harmful results from exposure to too much UV radiation are
sunburns, skin cancer, and cataracts, which is when your vision gets blurred. One
beneficial result to UV exposure is that it is the only way to naturally receive vitamin
D (JB). The government recommends to seek the shade when you are outside and to
avoid tanning booths. They also want you to use sunglasses and most importantly
where sunscreen (CM). People protect themselves from the sun by umbrellas or
shade structures, hats, sunglasses, and light colored clothing (JB). This all relates to
our experiment because we tested if Zinc would block the UV rays better than
regular sunscreen. We wanted to see if zinc would block the UV ray better because it
will help us stay sunburned which is very unhealthy (CM).
Question: Does sunscreen that contains zinc block more UV radiation than
sunscreen that doesnt contain zinc? GD
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that zinc sunscreen will do a better job of blocking UV
rays than regular sunscreen. GD
Materials: GD
UV Beads
3 petri dishes
1 blackout lid
Timer
Color scale (to measure change)
Zinc sunscreen (SPF 30)
Regular sunscreen (SPF 30)
Procedures: GD
1. Place blackout lid on petri dish full of beads
2. Smear different sunscreens (or none for control) on bottom of dish
3. Take dish outside in direct sunlight and flip over
4. Start timer and make observations concerning coloration every 30 seconds
5. Repeat for all sunscreens

Greg Dachtler
11/3/14
7
Saura

Names: Jackson Barry, Cole Miller, Sultan Hashmi, Greg Dachtler

Data:
Comparison Between Sunscreen w/Zinc and Sunscreen w/o Zinc
Time
(min)

Control
(ci)

Regular
(ci)

Zinc
(ci)

0.0
0
0
0.5
4
4
1.0
5
5
1.5
6
5
2.0
6
5
2.5
6
5
3.0
6
6
3.5
6
6
4.0
6
6
4.5
6
6
5.0
6
6
(ci = color index, 0 = no color, 6 = most color)

0
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5

Graph:

Comparison Between Zinc Sunscreen and

Regular Sunscreen
Level of Coloration in Beads

7
6

6
55

6
5

44

5
4

66

66

66

5
4

66
5

66
5

4
Control

Regular
Zinc

2
1
0

000
0

0.5

1.5

2.5
3
Time (min)

3.5

4.5

Names: Jackson Barry, Cole Miller, Sultan Hashmi, Greg Dachtler

Analyze and Conclude

Greg Dachtler
11/3/14
7
Saura

In this lab, we tested whether or not zinc-infused sunscreen would block UV rays
better than regular sunscreen. We hypothesized that zinc sunscreen would protect
against UV radiation better than regular sunscreen. If you look at our data, it shows
that at every time interval, the zinc-protected beads showed less coloration than the
other beads. Also, our graph shows that the zinc-protected beads had a less gradual
increase in color, meaning that you wouldnt get burned as quickly.
During our experiment, we found that zinc oxide sunscreen did a better job of
protecting the beads than regular cream sunscreen. On SmartSkinCares website, we
found that, Regular zinc oxide is one of the most broadly effective, established and
safe sun blocking ingredients available.
One limitation that we had in our experiment was time. We could only test for
about 5 minutes, so we didnt have enough time to fully test the limits of the
sunscreens. After a while, the sunscreens might wear off, losing their effectiveness.
It is my belief that you should stay out of direct sunlight during the afternoon hours,
until about 4:30. This is because the suns rays hit at a shallower angle, so they are
less intense. We found that zinc oxide sunscreen protected our UV beads from UV
radiation better than the same SPF regular sunscreen. This means that zinc
sunscreen is better than regular sunscreen.
Bibliography:
"Skin Cancer Foundation." Prevention Guidelines. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.
"UV Radiation | SunWise | US EPA." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency. Web. 26
Oct. 2014.
Zeman, Gary. "Ultraviolet Radiation." Ultraviolet Radiation. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
"Physical UVA+UVB Sunscreen/sunblock: Zinc Oxide." Zinc Oxide. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.