Name: Paul Im

Lab Partner(s): Allen Zhang and William Quiroz

Title: The Effect of Salt Concentration on Insta-Animals
Date: September 3-4, 2014
Research Question:
What is the effect of NaCl (table salt) on the emergence of animals from diapause?
Purpose:
We are performing this experiment to determine the effect salt has on the emanation of animals
from diapause. We will distribute an x amount of salt to beakers of water and will test how long it takes
the InstaAnimals to hatch. We anticipate the allotted time will decrease (below)

Hypothesis:
If you add x amount of NaCl in water then the amount of time it takes animals to diapause will
decrease or get faster.

Materials List:
Instant animals, various temps. of water (30 and 37 degrees celsius), hatching vessels,
stirring rods, graduated cylinders, timing apparatus (wall clock, or watch), and thermometers.
Safety:
Must wear safety goggles and aprons. Use caution and proper equipment when handling
hot material.
Observations:
Salt solutions became more cloudy and opaque as we added more salt to the solutions of
water. Capsules are different colors; red, yellow, green, blue, etc.
Types of Variables:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Control Group: beaker of water with no added salt (done to notice a change in the addition of salt)
Experimental Group: four beakers with salt added incrementally (10g, 20g, 30g, 40g, respectively)
Independent Variable: amount of salt added
Dependent Variable: amount of time it takes for Insta-Animals to diapause
Constants: water temperature, quantity of water, type of salt

Method:
We first gathered all of our materials. These materials include a 500mL beaker, 5 100mL beakers,
NaCl, a hot plate, stirring rods, graduated cylinders, thermometers, and a balance.

(materials)
We then heated the 500 mL beaker of water to a constant temperature of around 60 . When the

glass slightly cooled off, we distributed 40 mL of water to each beaker. (using a towel or glove)
(heating of water)
Since our experiment consisted of testing the effect of salt on the capsule, we allowed the temperature of
the water to waver a little. This only mattered when comparing it to our second trial -- considering the
difficulty of maintaining constant temperatures of water. We ensured the temperatures of the water were
constant in order to only test the effect of salt; not water temperature. (If the temperatures of the waters
were different for each beaker, this could alter the time it takes for the capsule to hatch.) Thereafter, using
a balance to measure out the necessary amounts of salt, we distributed 10g, 20g, 30g, and 40g of salt,

respectively, to each beaker, leaving one without salt as the control group. After disseminating the salt
into each beaker, we stirred the solutions. Then we placed the insta-animals into the beakers and waited

for them to transpire from their gel capsules.

(process of InstaAnimals hatching)
At first we tested two beakers at a time, then three beakers to reduce the time the beakers had to
potentially falter in temperature. We repeated this process one more time for two trials. (did not have time
for a 3rd trial)

Data:
Trial one:
0g

10g

20g

30g

40g

Time

1:49

2:02

2:44

4:58

5:10

0g

10g

20g

30g

40g

2:05

2:24

2:45

4:44

4:58

Trial two:

Time

Trial three: (did not have enough time)

0g

10g

20g

30g

40g

0g

10g

20g

30g

40g

1:57

2:13

2:44.5

4:51

5:04

Time
Averages:

Time

Data processing:
Average of two trials:

effect of salt on the amount of time it takes InstaAnimal to hatch

amount of salt added (grams)

This data shows a positive linear correlation between the relationship of grams of salt added and
the time it took for the capsules to hatch. As more salt was added, the amount of time it took also
increased. This does not support our hypothesis. (with the addition of salt the amount of time would
decrease)

Conclusion:
The results we collected from the experiment does not validate our hypothesis. Our control group
hatched in 117 seconds whereas the 10g solution hatched in 133 seconds. Also, the 20g, 30g, and 40g
solutions all took 164.5 seconds, 291 seconds, and 304 seconds (respectively). Our assumption of a
decreased growth time with the addition of salt was incorrect, as the results from the data demonstrated
that with the addition of salt, the amount of time it took to grow actually increased. The difference
between the control group (no salt added) and the experimental groups (salt added) suggests that salt does
have an impact on the rate at which Insta-animals hatches. (slows it down)
Sources of error that may have occurred is the lack of consistent water temperature and
inaccuracy when measuring the quantity of salt and water. As time elapsed, the water temperature of the
beakers was subject to change. This could change the amount of time it took the capsules to hatch.

Other relationships that would be worth considering is the acidity and sugar concentration of water in
addition to using a different liquid other than water. As we progressed through the trials, our group
noticed the most significant factor in affecting the rate of diapause was water temperature. If we were to
recreate our lab we would examine water temperature as our independent variable and study the effect of
water temperature on the rate of time it takes an InstaAnimal to hatch.