Science Fair Project - 2015

YOUR BOARD
How do you get started?
What fascinates you?
What are you curious about?
Grab a journal and start brainstorming and writing down your ideas!

Step 1.

OBSERVATIONS

Marcella is lactose intolerant and wanted to study milk.

Magic Milk
It must be your idea!
Use your 5 Senses: Touch Sight, Sound, Taste, Smell PLUS use your BRAIN!

Step 2.

TITLE

QUESTION

What are the properties of milk that make me sick?

PURPOSE or
PROBLEM

It must be a question you can test.

It must be a test that is safe and simple.
Penguins can be a research paper, but not a science fair experiment for school.
ONE Variable
Milk fat free and whole milk
*Perform the text exactly the same. Measure ingredients the same; do the procedure the same. Milk is the only variable!

Step 3.

PREDICTION

It is an educated answer to your question. A prediction is not a guess.

HYPOTHESIS

If ......................, then ...................... statements.

If I put the Q-tip of soap into the milk, then the food coloring will stick to it.

Step 4.

TEST

Metrics are required for the scientific method. All tests must be measured.
It is easier to count by tens to 100 than to count by twelves to 100.
1 gram is the weight of 1 marshmallow, 1 meter is the height of a door knob, 1 centimeter is the width of your finger, and 1 liter is the
size of a carton of buttermilk. Units of time are minutes, hours, & days. 0 degree Celsius is Freezing. 100 degrees Celsius is boiling.
Materials Supplies, Ingredients
MATERIALS
plastic cups, fat free milk, whole milk, food coloring, dish soap,
Q-tips, metric measuring cup
Procedure
PROCEDURE
Step 1, 2, 3 ... or your RECIPE
Instructions, Directions be very detailed
The test must be able to be duplicated by other scientists.
Data - at least 10 tests
DATA
perform lots and lots of tests
Results - organize your data
RESULTS
bar graphs, pie charts, scatter diagrams, pictures
** Pictures of yourself are not allowed on your board.
Conclusions
CONCLUSIONS
Summary what happened?
Hypothesis proven True or False?
Research why?
** It is ok to have a failed experiment. It is ok to make mistakes. Scientists learn a lot from mistakes and failures.
The food coloring did not stick to the soapy Q-tip. My hypothesis was proven false. Why?

Step 5.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT
Your science fair project abstract lets people quickly determine if they want to read the entire report. Consequently, at least ten times as
many people will read your abstract as any other part of your work. It's like an advertisement for what you've done. If you want judges
and the public to be excited about your science fair project, then write an exciting, engaging abstract!

Tie-Dyed Milk
Introduction
Liquids like water and milk have a property known as surface tension, due to the cohesive forces
of the liquid's molecules. Look closely (you can use a magnifying glass) at the edge of the surface
of water in a clear glass. Do you notice how the very edge of the water appears to rise up the side of
the glass? That's because the surface tension of the water is actually pulling the water away from
the glass inward toward the center of the surface.
Soap will reduce this surface tension. Let's see what happens!
Safety
Make sure you have an adult helping you.
Do not drink the milk after you have put the food coloring and soap in it!
Do this experiment near the sink so that when you're done you don't spill milk and food
coloring all over the floor.
Supplies
A shallow dish - One that is clear is best, to see what's happening under the surface of the
liquid, but a shallow bowl, aluminum pie tin, or plastic or paper bowl will work just fine.
Milk - The higher the fat content the better. Half-and-half or whole milk works best.
Food coloring - Four different colors will be more colorful.
Liquid dish soap.
A Q-tip, toothpick, or small straw might be helpful, too.
Directions
1. Pour a layer of milk in the dish about 1/2" (1 cm) deep. Room temperature milk works much
better than cold milk, if you have the patience to let it sit for a while.
2. Carefully put one small drop of each of the four food colors onto the surface of the milk,
widely separated, and not in the center of the dish (less is better than more!). Something like

this:

3. Get ready to watch what happens! Very carefully drop one drop of dish soap onto the
surface of the milk in the center of the dish. (Be careful not to add the soap directly on top of
the food coloring. You may want to dip a toothpick in the dish soap so that a small drop of
soap remains on the end of the toothpick, then touch the drop to the surface of the milk.)
Observations
What happens to the food coloring when you first put it on the milk? Why?
What happens when you add the drop of soap?
What direction does the food color move when you first add the drop of soap?
What direction does the food color move after the experiment has been running for a while?
Does the movement go on forever? What happens?
What happens if you add another drop of soap after the colors have stopped moving?
What's Happening?!?
You probably first noticed that the drops of food coloring just sat on the surface where you placed
them. That's because food coloring is less dense than milk, so it floats on the surface, and the colors
do not mix because you didn't stir the milk.
Then the action began with a drop of soap! The soap reduces the surface tension of the milk by
dissolving the fat molecules, which is why fattier milk works better. The surface of the milk outside
the soap drop has a higher surface tension, so it pulls the surface away from that spot. The food
coloring moves with the surface, streaming away from the soap drop. Due to the convection that
results from the moving surface, the food coloring may be drawn down into the liquid, only to
appear rising again somewhere else. That's why it's best to use a clear bowl so you can see what's
happening.
As the soap becomes evenly mixed with the milk, the action slows down and eventually stops.
Addition of another drop of soap may start the process again.