THE CENTRAL UTAH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING FAIR IS PRESENTED BY THE BYU McKAY SCHOOL OF EDUCATION AND THE BYU-PUBLIC SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
2011 Abstracts: Senior Division
Following is a list of past abstracts for student science projects. Please feel free to read through these to get ideas for your own project, and to see how to write a well-written abstract.
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| Project Title | Buff Butterflies to Be |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0101 |
| Student Name | Cassandra Belliston
Hanh Belliston Angela Thornton |
| Abstract | Question: How do different muscle enhancing drugs affect the weight of painted lady caterpillars? How will increasing the amount of a hormone (20-beta-hyroecdysterone) they naturally produce effect their weight? Hypothesis: We predict that the hydroecdysterone will increase the weight of the caterpillars the most. Procedure: 1. Purchase painted lady caterpillars and food. 2. Purchase muscle-enhancing drugs/supplements. 3. Crush the DHEA tablets into a powder that can be mixed with the food. 4. Break the Ecdysterone capsules open to get the powder to mix with the food. 5. Repeat step 4 with Tri-Amino Acid mixture. 6. Measure the appropriate amount of water to mix with the food. 7. Separate the food into 20 small containers and label them appropriately. 8. Add 600 mg of DHEA to five of the containers and mix. 9. Repeat step 7 for the Ecdysterone and Tri-Amino Acid mix. 10.Add one mL of water to 5 containers of food and mix. 11.Take the original weight of each caterpillar and place in a container. 12.Weigh each caterpillar daily and record its weight. a. Zero the scale with paper on it b. Place caterpillar on paper c. Weigh and record d. Repeat steps a-c for each caterpillar Conclusion: The caterpillars that were fed with a mixture of food and water gained the most weight the fastest. Hydroxyecdysterone looked to be the leader, but all of the caterpillars died who ate that mixture, therefore we can conclude the amount they produce naturally is sufficient and increasing that amount is fatal. |
| Project Title | Buff Butterflies to Be |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0101 |
| Student Name | Hannah Belliston
Cassandra Belliston Angela Thornton |
| Abstract | Question: How do different muscle enhancing drugs affect the weight of painted lady caterpillars? How will increasing the amount of a hormone (20-beta-hyroecdysterone) they naturally produce effect their weight? Hypothesis: We predict that the hydroecdysterone will increase the weight of the caterpillars the most. Procedure: 1. Purchase painted lady caterpillars and food. 2. Purchase muscle-enhancing drugs/supplements. 3. Crush the DHEA tablets into a powder that can be mixed with the food. 4. Break the Ecdysterone capsules open to get the powder to mix with the food. 5. Repeat step 4 with Tri-Amino Acid mixture. 6. Measure the appropriate amount of water to mix with the food. 7. Separate the food into 20 small containers and label them appropriately. 8. Add 600 mg of DHEA to five of the containers and mix. 9. Repeat step 7 for the Ecdysterone and Tri-Amino Acid mix. 10.Add one mL of water to 5 containers of food and mix. 11.Take the original weight of each caterpillar and place in a container. 12.Weigh each caterpillar daily and record its weight. a. Zero the scale with paper on it b. Place caterpillar on paper c. Weigh and record d. Repeat steps a-c for each caterpillar Conclusion: The caterpillars that were fed with a mixture of food and water gained the most weight the fastest. Hydroxyecdysterone looked to be the leader, but all of the caterpillars died who ate that mixture, therefore we can conclude the amount they produce naturally is sufficient and increasing that amount is fatal. |
| Project Title | Buff Butterflies to be |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0101 |
| Student Name | Angela Thornton
Hanh Belliston Cassandra Belliston |
| Abstract | We began with a simple question; how do different muscle enhancing drugs/supplements effect the growth of the painted lady caterpillar? So we first began to research different muscle enhancers that we could feed to our caterpillars. We came across the 20-beta-hydroxyecdysterone and decided to use that because it is a growth hormone that the caterpillars already produce. Our hypothesis was that the caterpillars on 20-beta-hydroxyecdysterone would grow the fastest because they already produce that hormone so giving them more of it should make them grow faster. For our procedure, we mixed the drugs into the caterpillar food but mixed five containers with only water. We weighed the caterpillars every day, but found that all the ones in the 20-beta-hydroxyecdysterone were usually dead. In the end we came to a conclusion that our hypothesis was wrong and that the caterpillars that had water in the food grew the fastest. |
| Project Title | Calcium in Chicken Eggs! |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0102 |
| Student Name | Madison Brown |
| Abstract | Eggs are always getting cracked and broken. If you add a calcium supplement to the chicken’s diet will it increase the calcium in the eggshell? I think that the supplement will help the eggs. In my project, I first collected an egg each from the two chicken coops on which I would be testing. Then I started adding the calcium supplement to their food. I added one tablespoon to the first coop’s food, and two tablespoons to the second’s. I collected two eggs from each coop after adding the calcium supplement. I would be testing to see how the calcium supplement affected the eggshell. I then cracked the eggs, took the membrane out of the eggshell, dried the eggshells and crushed them with a mortar and pestle. Then I used a specific combination of HCl (1.00 M), phenolphthalein, and NaOH (1.00 M) during a titration process to figure out the amount of calcium carbonate that was in each eggshell. I compared the data of all the eggshells and found that it increased by about 10 grams from no supplement to two tablespoons. Knowing that the supplement adds calcium to each eggshell, we can add it to birds’ diets and strengthen their eggshells. |
| Project Title | Goldfish- Light vs. Dark Environments |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0103 |
| Student Name | Beth Ann Crane |
| Abstract | Abstract This experiment was performed to determine if a darker environment would effect the coloring of a goldfish, compared with goldfish that were kept in a brighter environment. My hypothesis is that the goldfish kept in the dark environment will be lighter than the ones kept in the sunlight. I placed one bowl with goldfish on a bookcase near a South facing window that received lots of sunlight during the day. I placed the other fishbowl in a large closet on a step stool in the same room so that it did not receive any sunlight. I also tracked the temperature of the water everyday since this can have an effect on the coloring of the goldfish. Care and feeding of all the goldfish were the same and I tracked this on a calendar printout. Once a week I took pictures of the fish in the two environments. On the fourth week I made my final comparison and the fish kept in the darker environment were paler than the ones in the brighter environment. Also, the temperature in the darker environment was usually two degrees colder than the light environment. In conclusion, the color of goldfish are effected by their exposure to light, the temperature of the water and the food they eat. |
| Project Title | What is a Wooly Mammoth's Closest Living Relative? |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0104 |
| Student Name | Kayla Bowman
Connor Bowman |
| Abstract | A. Our question was “What is a Wooly Mammoth’s Closest Living Relative?” We decided to study this after we did a lab in our biotechnology class where we had our own mitochondrial DNA sequenced. After comparing our own DNA sequences with other students in the class, we wondered if we could compare the DNA sequences of other animals. B. To answer our question, we downloaded the mitochondrial DNA sequence for the Wooly Mammoth provided through the National Center of Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) database of nucleotide sequences. Using the BLAST tool provided on the website, we located the desired DNA. After we found the DNA, we searched for similar sequences in their database. When the BLAST report was complete, the results showed us which of our two species (Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africanus) was the closest living relative to the Wooly Mammoth. C. Also, we calculated the mutation rate of each of the two species using the number of changes in the DNA from the BLAST report and the time passed since the species diverged from wooly mammoths. D. Our hypothesis was that the Loxodonta africanus would be more closely related to the wooly mammoth because it is bigger than the Elephas maximus. E. Our results showed that the Elephas maximus was the closest living relative to the wooly mammoth and, this specie had a lower mutation rate than the Loxodonta africanus. F. Comparing DNA sequences of different animals can help us discover where different species originated from. |
| Project Title | What is a Wooly Mammoth's Closest Living Relative? |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0104 |
| Student Name | Connor Bowman
Kayla Bowman |
| Abstract | A. Our question was “What is a Wooly Mammoth’s Closest Living Relative?” We decided to study this after we did a lab in our biotechnology class where we had our own mitochondrial DNA sequenced. After comparing our own DNA sequences with other students in the class, we wondered if we could compare the DNA sequences of other animals. B. To answer our question, we downloaded the mitochondrial DNA sequence for the Wooly Mammoth provided through the National Center of Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) database of nucleotide sequences. Using the BLAST tool provided on the website, we located the desired DNA. After we found the DNA, we searched for similar sequences in their database. When the BLAST report was complete, the results showed us which of our two species (Elephas maximus and Loxodonta africanus) was the closest living relative to the Wooly Mammoth. C. Also, we calculated the mutation rate of each of the two species using the number of changes in the DNA from the BLAST report and the time passed since the species diverged from wooly mammoths. D. Our hypothesis was that the Loxodonta africanus would be more closely related to the wooly mammoth because it is bigger than the Elephas maximus. E. Our results showed that the Elephas maximus was the closest living relative to the wooly mammoth and, this specie had a lower mutation rate than the Loxodonta africanus. F. Comparing DNA sequences of different animals can help us discover where different species originated from. |
| Project Title | Tardigrade Wipeout |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0105 |
| Student Name | Amanda Hill |
| Abstract | In the clade Ecdysozoa that ranges from Insecta to Nematoda, lies the Phylum Tardigrada. One distinction is their ability to withstand extreme conditions when in a cryptobiotic state. When in a cryptobiotic state tardigrades have been known to survive through extreme temperature, pressure, radiation, and even the harsh conditions of outer space (Jonsson et al. 2008). The tardigrades were subjected to air pressure as low as 0.00001 Pa, and when returned to Earth were still capable of producing offspring. My project focused on the extreme of radiation. Using microwaves and ultraviolet radiation I tested the survival of tardigrades in comparison to nematodes and rotifers. After subjecting samples of the organisms to both kinds of radiation I found that tardigrades are able to survive conditions that both nematodes and rotifers cannot. |
| Project Title | Deconstructing Octopus Intelligence |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0106 |
| Student Name | Lauren Illes
Lauren Illes |
| Abstract | The octopus is regarded as the most intelligent invertebrate due to its advanced nervous system and learning capacity. It is not understood, however, what enables it to exhibit behavior associated with high intelligence, such as problem solving and observational learning. In order to understand the nature of octopus intelligence, we need to understand what motivates its behavior. Its brain seems to engage in two situations: when presented with something new or with extrinsic motivation. Which, then, plays a greater role in provoking intelligent behavior in the octopus? To perform my experiment, I participated in octopus enrichment activities at an aquarium. Each day, the octopus was given its food in a different container/object. Its interest level was gauged based on interaction and time spent with the object. Some enrichment activities were done without the extrinsic motivation of food. Data was analyzed to find the relationship between iteration and interest level, and motivation and interest level. There was not a significant increase in interest level when extrinsic motivation was used (t-test p value =0.481885707). After averaging the direct interest scores for each enrichment instance, it became apparent that as familiarity increased, the interest level also increased. (5% increase in interest with each instance). We can presume from this that the octopus’ brain engages more when presented with a familiar object. This could be the result a natural preference toward familiar things, as octopuses naturally mimic the behavior of their own kind and use camouflage, the processing and mimicking of their environment. |
| Project Title | Through a Dogs Eyes: A Study of Cainine Visual Perception |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0107 |
| Student Name | Kayson Conlin
Kenyon Conlin |
| Abstract | The purpose of our project was to discover whether or not dogs are capable of recognizing three-dimensional objects from a two-dimensional photograph. Service dogs are currently trained to respond to vocal commands, but there remains a need for dogs to help the vocally impaired. The initial idea was to determine whether a dog could find and retrieve an object after being shown a picture of the object. Both classical and operant conditioning was utilized to train the dog to recognize and retrieve different objects. A bridge was used as an auditory cue when the dog correctly identified the object. Praise and play were used as positive reinforcement. Training was done in three stages gradually removing auditory cues. To ascertain whether the dog was actually identifying the object from its picture, the pictured objects were randomly placed among unknown objects. We have found that the dog was able to ignore the unknown objects and even a favorite toy when retrieving objects, but that he would retrieve the object he had just received praise for regardless of which picture was shown next. This indicates that he became conditioned to the object rather than its picture. Our results are inconclusive; they suggest that further research needs to be done on visual acuity in canines and their ability to see glossy pictures. We are currently revising our pictures and testing strategy. |
| Project Title | Through a Dog's Eyes: A Study of Canine Visual Perception |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0107 |
| Student Name | Kenyon Conlin
Kayson Conlin |
| Abstract | The purpose of our project was to discover whether or not dogs are capable of recognizing three-dimensional objects from a two-dimensional photograph. Service dogs are currently trained to respond to vocal commands, but there remains a need for dogs to help the vocally impaired. The initial idea was to determine whether a dog could find and retrieve an object after being shown a picture of the object. Both classical and operant conditioning was utilized to train the dog to recognize and retrieve different objects. A bridge was used as an auditory cue when the dog correctly identified the object. Praise and play were used as positive reinforcement. Training was done in three stages gradually removing auditory cues. To ascertain whether the dog was actually identifying the object from its picture, the pictured objects were randomly placed among unknown objects. We have found that the dog was able to ignore the unknown objects and even a favorite toy when retrieving objects, but that he would retrieve the object he had just received praise for regardless of which picture was shown next. This indicates that he became conditioned to the object rather than its picture. Our results are inconclusive; they suggest that further research needs to be done on visual acuity in canines and their ability to see glossy pictures. We are currently revising our pictures and testing strategy. |
| Project Title | What Sense Makes More Sense? |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0108 |
| Student Name | Allison Leavitt |
| Abstract | I decided to do my project on the behavior of mice because I think that even though they are animals, they still give us a good basic knowledge about ourselves. They may be mice but they still share the same ways of life. Survival and having a comfortable lifestyle is what we are all looking for. For my project I wanted to see what sense helps five mice get through a maze the fastest. Would it be smell, touch, sight, or sound? By finding this out we can learn more about how mice react, and relate that to human reactions as well. My conclusion was that smell was the dominant sense. For my experiment I ran the mice through the maze three times for each sense. For smell I used food, for sight I turned the lights off and used a flashlight, for touch I put their bedding from their home in from the start to the finish, and for sound I put my i-pod at the end where the music came out. My final data showed that smell (86.09 seconds) was an average of 39 seconds faster then the second leading sense, touch. The worst sense was sight at an average of 217.9 seconds. This project helped me understand how each mouse depended on a certain sense to get them through the maze the quickest and how it was different for each one of them. |
| Project Title | Eggs Anyone? |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0109 |
| Student Name | AnneMarie Taggart
Patrice Densley |
| Abstract | The purpose of this experiment is to find a more effective way to help chickens produce more eggs. The procedures were as follows. The 18 chickens were kept in the coop for four days with 24 hours of light, four days in natural light, and four days of no light. The chickens could access water and food at all times. Each day the eggs were collected at 3:45 pm and the number of eggs was recorded. The totals and averages of the eggs were found for each test. It was found through this experiment that chickens laid more eggs when they received 24 hours of light compared to chickens receiving only natural daylight and no light. |
| Project Title | Eggs Anyone? |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0109 |
| Student Name | Patrice Densley
AnneMarie Taggart |
| Abstract | The purpose of this experiment is to find a more effective way to help chickens produce more eggs. The procedures were as follows. The 18 chickens were kept in the coop for four days with 24 hours of light, four days in natural daylight, and four days of no light. The chickens could access water and food at all times. Each day the eggs were collected at 3:45 pm and the number of eggs was recorded. The totals and averages of the eggs were found for each test. It was found through this experiment that chickens laid more eggs when they received 24 hours of light compared to chickens receiving only natural daylight and no light. |
| Project Title | Rabbits Habits |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0110 |
| Student Name | Karson Thompson |
| Abstract | People have wanted to train animals for various purposes: the dog to fetch, the horse to pull, and a pig to dig for truffles. I want to train rabbits. I would do this through the theory of “Classical Conditioning.” Classical conditioning is a form of associative learning that was first demonstrated by Ivan Pavlov 1927. “The typical procedure for inducing classical conditioning involves presentations of a neutral stimulus along with a stimulus of some significance. The neutral stimulus could be any event that does not result in an overt behavioral response from the organism under investigation.” I have decided to do an experiment of my own and see if I can get the rabbit to come to me when they hear a sound. My question is. “Using sound as my stimulus, can I train my rabbits to come to me when they hear a sound?” I believe that I can train a rabbit to come to me when they hear a sound. I would do my experiment by obtaining rabbits and cages, ring a bell with each feeding, drop food at same location each feeding, record observations and time taken to get to food, change location of food drop, repeat step 2-3 about 20 times, change location of food drop, repeat step 2-3 about 20 times, and finally repeat steps 2-7 three times until finished with project. |
| Project Title | The Effect of Light on Ovulation of Poultrey |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0111 |
| Student Name | ChaNieca Stevenson
Kayla Smith |
| Abstract | The Effect of Light on Ovulation of Poultry We chose to do this project to see if it would help farmers get more eggs if they put a light in their pen. We built a chicken pen 12ft by 14ft, it contains six box feeders and a roost to sleep in. The hens had fresh water and food available at all times. During the day we would let them run around in the fences off backyard, and we would lock them up at night. We collected the eggs three times daily at 7:00 am 3:00pm and again at 8:00 pm. When light hit a hens eye it absorbs into the photo receptive gland, it trigger the egg cell to be released, the egg lays 14 hours after this occurs. Hypothesis: We figured with our research that the more light you give a hen the more eggs they will produce. Our experiment was, we took 12 hens 1-2 years of age. We split 102 days into 6 segments. For the first three segments we recorded the number of eggs and the time between sunrise and sunset. In our reports as the sunlight decreased so did the egg production. Segment number 4, we exposed the hens to 12 hours of artificial light from a 12 volt light bulb, during the night, egg production went up. For segment number 4 we kept the light on for 15 hours. The egg production increased tremendously, almost every chicken laid an egg a day. For segment 6 we turned the light on for 24 hours, egg production, rapidly decreased. In segment 6 we got the lowest egg production. In conclusion we figured that 15 hours of light was the ideal amount of light, it gave the hens time to rest. 24 hours of light was too much, and stressed the hen. With 24 hours of light makes it harder for a chicken to lay eggs because it overwhelms her and makes the production more difficult. 15 hours of light gives the chickens time to rest and recover from laying and producing from last egg. |
| Project Title | The Effect of Light on Ovulation of Poultrey |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0111 |
| Student Name | Kayla Smith
ChaNieca Stevenson |
| Abstract | The Effect of Light on Ovulation of Poultry We chose to do this project to see if it would help farmers get more eggs if they put a light in their pen. We built a chicken pen 12ft by 14ft, it contains six box feeders and a roost to sleep in. The hens had fresh water and food available at all times. During the day we would let them run around in the fences off backyard, and we would lock them up at night. We collected the eggs three times daily at 7:00 am 3:00pm and again at 8:00 pm. When light hit a hens eye it absorbs into the photo receptive gland, it trigger the egg cell to be released, the egg lays 14 hours after this occurs. Hypothesis: We figured with our research that the more light you give a hen the more eggs they will produce. Our experiment was, we took 12 hens 1-2 years of age. We split 102 days into 6 segments. For the first three segments we recorded the number of eggs and the time between sunrise and sunset. In our reports as the sunlight decreased so did the egg production. Segment number 4, we exposed the hens to 12 hours of artificial light from a 12 volt light bulb, during the night, egg production went up. For segment number 4 we kept the light on for 15 hours. The egg production increased tremendously, almost every chicken laid an egg a day. For segment 6 we turned the light on for 24 hours, egg production, rapidly decreased. In segment 6 we got the lowest egg production. In conclusion we figured that 15 hours of light was the ideal amount of light, it gave the hens time to rest. 24 hours of light was too much, and stressed the hen. With 24 hours of light makes it harder for a chicken to lay eggs because it overwhelms her and makes the production more difficult. 15 hours of light gives the chickens time to rest and recover from laying and producing from last egg. |
| Project Title | Does vaccinating and deworming affect pigs. |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0112 |
| Student Name | McKay Simmons |
| Abstract | McKay Simmons Does vaccinating and deworming pigs affect how much weight they gain? The purpose I chose my project is that I wanted to do something involving animals. So I decided do something with pigs and so I chose to have my title of my project be does vaccinating and deworming pigs affect how much weight they gain. My hypothesis was if I feed four pigs the same and vaccinate and deworm two of them then the two that were vaccinated and dewormed will gain the most weight. For my experiment I bought four pigs, two females and two male. I fed all of them milk and as much corn as they could eat. I vaccinated one female and one male. I did not vaccinate the other male and the other female. I weighed them all once a week and recorded their weight, and how much weight they gained that week. The results of my experiment, my hypothesis was right because the pigs that were vaccinated and dewormed gained the most weight. They gained a pound a week more than the ones that were not vaccinated and dewormed. |
| Project Title | Brine Shrimp Babies |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0113 |
| Student Name | Kemerey Thompson
Makayla VanGorder Topacio Patch |
| Abstract | What we were trying to accomplish in this project was to see if different amounts of salt in water hatched more brine shrimp than other amounts of salt. To test this, we put 1/8t brine shrimp into a 500ml bottle of Arrowhead bottled water. We put the bottles under a heat lamp and used an Air Pump to keep oxygen in the water. WE kept the brine shrimp in the bottles until they were hatched, which took approximately two days. Then we would get one straw-full of the water to collect the brine shrimp. To keep this part of the project accurate, we kept the Air Pump on to keep the water moving and filled up the same straw to exactly the same level each time. Once in the straw, we let the water out into a petri dish. We then got a microscope and counted the amount of brine shrimp in the petri dish. Then we recorded the information, cleaned the materials, and began the process all over again until we had done the process fifteen times. We hypothesized that two teaspoons of salt would hatch the most amounts of brine shrimp. We found that one teaspoon of salt hatched the most amounts of brine shrimp. We were surprised by the results because our research showed that two tablespoons were what many aquariums used to hatch brine shrimp. We were very happy with our results. |
| Project Title | Brine Shrimp Babies |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0113 |
| Student Name | Makayla VanGorder
Kemerey Thompson Topacio Patch |
| Abstract | What we were trying to accomplish in this project was to see if different amounts of salt in water hatched more brine shrimp than other amounts of salt. To test this, we put 1/8t brine shrimp into a 500ml bottle of Arrowhead bottled water. We put the bottles under a heat lamp and used an Air Pump to keep oxygen in the water. WE kept the brine shrimp in the bottles until they were hatched, which took approximately two days. Then we would get one straw-full of the water to collect the brine shrimp. To keep this part of the project accurate, we kept the Air Pump on to keep the water moving and filled up the same straw to exactly the same level each time. Once in the straw, we let the water out into a petri dish. We then got a microscope and counted the amount of brine shrimp in the petri dish. Then we recorded the information, cleaned the materials, and began the process all over again until we had done the process fifteen times. We hypothesized that two teaspoons of salt would hatch the most amounts of brine shrimp. We found that one teaspoon of salt hatched the most amounts of brine shrimp. We were surprised by the results because our research showed that two tablespoons were what many aquariums used to hatch brine shrimp. We were very happy with our results. |
| Project Title | Brine Shrimp Babies |
| Category | Animal Science |
| Table Number | H0113 |
| Student Name | Topacio Patch
Kemerey Thompson Makayla VanGorder |
| Abstract | What we were trying to accomplish in this project was to see if different amounts of salt in water hatched more brine shrimp than other amounts of salt. To test this, we put 1/8t brine shrimp into a 500ml bottle of Arrowhead bottled water. We put the bottles under a heat lamp and used an Air Pump to keep oxygen in the water. WE kept the brine shrimp in the bottles until they were hatched, which took approximately two days. Then we would get one straw-full of the water to collect the brine shrimp. To keep this part of the project accurate, we kept the Air Pump on to keep the water moving and filled up the same straw to exactly the same level each time. Once in the straw, we let the water out into a petri dish. We then got a microscope and counted the amount of brine shrimp in the petri dish. Then we recorded the information, cleaned the materials, and began the process all over again until we had done the process fifteen times. We hypothesized that two teaspoons of salt would hatch the most amounts of brine shrimp. We found that one teaspoon of salt hatched the most amounts of brine shrimp. We were surprised by the results because our research showed that two tablespoons were what many aquariums used to hatch brine shrimp. We were very happy with our results. |
| Project Title | Using Mnemonic Devices in Hippotherapy |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0201 |
| Student Name | Lindsay Brown |
| Abstract | The purpose of my experiment was to see if teaching behaviorally challenged children, while using mnemonic devices during hippo-therapy, would be more effective than teaching them without mnemonic devices. To test this I gathered six volunteer children with behavioral challenges. I obtained a behavioral observation form from a school official. Next, I had an impartial adult observe each child using the behavioral form. I then conducted both identical hippo-therapy sessions with the control group (group A) and the independent group (group B). Group B received the mnemonic device (a wristband and pillow resembling the horse's hair). Finally, I had an impartial adult use the same method as before to test the difference in the subjects' behaviors. Group B had their mnemonic devices with them during the post-test. Observation showed group A's average off task behavior increased by 11.66%, while Group B's off task behavior increased by 1.66%. Lower scores indicate improved behavior. My hypothesis was supported by the results. The mnemonic devices showed improvement with the focus of the children. Therefore, if we use mnemonic devices in hippo-therapy, we can help more children overcome their behavioral challenges. I would love to take this project further because, after I completed my experiment, I recognized a few things I could improve. I would love to experiment over a longer period of time and test the students in a more controlled environment. |
| Project Title | POWERBAND HOAX! |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0202 |
| Student Name | Cayden Cazier
Cayden Cazier Trevor Carlile |
| Abstract | The purpose of the experiment was to find out if wearing a power balance band will affect your golf drive distance and speed. The procedure was to have six people go to Uintah Golf and hit on their simulator. We took the distance and speed of each of the 30 shots hit by each person. We found that using the power balance band decreased our distance and increase the ball speed. When the power balance band was not used, the average speed was 130 mph. The average speed when the power balance band was used was 132 mph. When the power balance band was not used, the average distance was 191 yards. When the power balance band was used the average distance was 187 yards. In conclusion, while wearing the power balance band, the distance decreased and the speed increased. In closing the power balance band does not affect your golf drive distance and speed. |
| Project Title | POWERBAND HOAX! |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0202 |
| Student Name | Trevor Carlile
Trevor Carlile Cayden Cazier |
| Abstract | The purpose of the experiment was to find out if wearing a power balance band will affect your golf drive distance and speed. The procedure was to have six people go to Uintah Golf and hit on their simulator. We took the distance and speed of each of the 30 shots hit by each person. We found that using the power balance band decreased our distance and increase the ball speed. When the power balance band was not used, the average speed was 130 mph. The average speed when the power balance band was used was 132 mph. When the power balance band was not used, the average distance was 191 yards. When the power balance band was used the average distance was 187 yards. In conclusion, while wearing the power balance band, the distance decreased and the speed increased. In closing the power balance band does not affect your golf drive distance and speed. |
| Project Title | R U Good @ Spelling |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0203 |
| Student Name | Kasadee Godfrey |
| Abstract | Abstract I decided to test how much spell-check and texting have affected students’ ability to spell. This is a growing problem in today’s society. Are our major advancements in technology helping or hurting our students? I found out as much as I could about memory, spelling, texting, and spell-check on computers. I then hypothesized that the students who use spell-check would have a lower spelling score than the students who do not text or use spell-check. I tested at least 50 students per grade, in the grades 5th through 12th. The students filled out a survey on one side of a test that I created then spelled the ten spelling words on the other side. I found out that how much students text and/or use spell check does not affect their ability to spell. Spelling is something that everyone learns. If you want your student to be good at spelling have them study spelling. It does not matter how much you allow your student to text or use spell check as long as they are still a good student and know when to stop texting, so they can do their homework. |
| Project Title | Who Knows? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0204 |
| Student Name | Nick Grangroth
Alexis Carter |
| Abstract | The purpose of our experiment was to find out if teachers are more knowledgeable than their students. To find this, we gave out tests to 25 teachers and 25 students. The test consisted of eight different subjects (math, science, history, language arts, politics, pop culture, technology, and fine arts) with three questions for each category and 24 questions total. Teachers, on average, got 18.04 questions correct, while students got 14.87 correct. In conclusion, teachers are more knowledgeable than their students. |
| Project Title | Who Knows |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0204 |
| Student Name | Alexis Carter
Nick Grangroth |
| Abstract | The purpose of our experiment was to find out if teachers are more knowledgeable then their students. To find this, we gave out tests to 25 teachers and 25 students. The test consisted of eight different subjects (Math, Science, History, Language Arts, Politics, Pop Culture, Technology, and Fine Arts) with three questions for each catagory and 24 questions total. Teachers, on average, got 18.04 questions correct, while students got 14.87 correct. In conclusion, teachers are more knowledgeable then their students. |
| Project Title | Are Working Women Gender Biased? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0205 |
| Student Name | Rebekkah Hart |
| Abstract | As the main focus of my science project, I set out to find immediate associations between gender and career in married working women, using a gender-career preference test. I realize that bias against women with a job outside the home is an issue in our community. I was curious to see how these women viewed this matter and associated career and gender. My quest was to find if married working women associated women with career and men with family compared to men with career and women with family, the more common association. I believed they would have a stronger association of women with career and men with family than women who didn’t have a job outside the home. I found a test on Harvard University’s website called the IAT, or Implicit Association Test. This test calculates your measure of association by how quickly you sort words into categories. In this test, the categories consisted of male, female, gender and career. I tested ten women who had a job outside the home, and ten who did not. I then recorded and graphed their scores. The results were very surprising, opposite my hypothesis. The women who had a job outside the home associated male with career and female with family significantly stronger than women who did not have a job outside the home. Much of the feedback I got from working women included their desire to be at home and the belief that men should be the ones in the work field. |
| Project Title | Motivation and Cognitive Function: Examining the effect of motivation on low-stake test scores |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0206 |
| Student Name | Jacob Johnson |
| Abstract | Tests are routinely designed to estimate either what people have learned or their potential to learn. However, although many tests are excellent in differentiating performance, they run the risk of not being totally accurate. Why? Because the tests do not take into consideration motivation. This research looks at the effect of motivation and low-stakes test scores. It was found that there was a statistically significant correlation between external motivation and test performance. That is, when respondents are offered a simple reason to do better on a task, they will [t (230) = 2.75, p < .05. This research found that test takers who evaluated themselves as intrinsically motivated performed significantly better ((f= 2,160)= 6.38 p<.01) than those who were extrinsically motivated. |
| Project Title | The Scoop on Stroop |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0207 |
| Student Name | Morgan Weight
Taylor Gregory |
| Abstract | Question: Does using the Stroop Effect in a test which you name shapes slow down your reaction time? Procedure: We started by researching the Stroop Effect. Basically, the Stroop Effect is where there are conflicting signs, pictures, colors, or words, and you must pick out or identify a specific part of the material given. If you have ever taken a test where you are given the name of a color, but is shown in a different color than it says, that is the Stroop Effect. We printed out strips of shapes (including square, rectangle, pentagon, triangle, and circle). This included the actual shapes, the names of the shapes, and the shapes with a distracter. For our distracter, we used the name of a shape and combined it with a shape that DID NOT match. We then placed the strips in corresponding envelopes and used them to survey people. We would ask the test subject to read the list of shapes as quickly as possible while being timed. We then recorded the results of the survey. The goal was to figure out which type of shape took longest to read. Or in other words, did the distracter really slowed down the thinking process and caused a noticeably increased time? Results: Using a distracter will slow down the time it takes for a person to complete the survey. When they see the words that do not match the shape, it confuses them enough that their reaction time increases noticeably. |
| Project Title | The Scoop on Stroop |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0207 |
| Student Name | Taylor Gregory
Morgan Weight |
| Abstract | Question: Does using the Stroop Effect in a test which you name shapes slow down your reaction time? Procedure: We started by researching the Stroop Effect. Basically, the Stroop Effect is where there are conflicting signs, pictures, colors, or words, and you must pick out or identify a specific part of the material given. If you have ever taken a test where you are given the name of a color, but is shown in a different color than it says, that is the Stroop Effect. We printed out strips of shapes (including square, rectangle, pentagon, triangle, and circle). This included the actual shapes, the names of the shapes, and the shapes with a distracter. For our distracter, we used the name of a shape and combined it with a shape that DID NOT match. We then placed the strips in corresponding envelopes and used them to survey people. We would ask the test subject to read the list of shapes as quickly as possible while being timed. We then recorded the results of the survey. The goal was to figure out which type of shape took longest to read. Or in other words, did the distracter really slowed down the thinking process and caused a noticeably increased time? Results: Using a distracter will slow down the time it takes for a person to complete the survey. When they see the words that do not match the shape, it confuses them enough that their reaction time increases noticeably. |
| Project Title | Age VS Eyewitness Reliability |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0208 |
| Student Name | Lynnzie Leavitt |
| Abstract | For my science project, I tested age versus eyewitness reliability in school age children. I decided to do this project because I am very interested in criminal justice and in psychology. I would like to pursue a career in one or both of these fields. I think this experiment is a good mixture of both of my interests. My objective was to determine whether there is a correlation between the accuracy of eyewitness accounts and the age of the witness. To get my results I had the teacher leave the room with a discreet excuse and then I set up an interruption that took place in the classroom. Afterwards I passed out questionnaires asking the bystanders to describe what took place. I did this test six times, twice in elementary school, twice in middle school and twice in high school. After gathering the information, I found that there was no specific correlation between the age of the witness and the accuracy of their testimony. However, I did discover that some age groups were able to pinpoint certain details of the crime better than others were. More specifically, I found that middle school aged children reported the least accurately. Overall, I learned that age is not necessarily an indicator as to how reliable an eyewitness can be. |
| Project Title | How Does Texting Affect You? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0209 |
| Student Name | Ashley Judd
Morgan Judd Cassidy Grizzle |
| Abstract | For our experiment, we tested how texting affects students’ communication. You have probably noticed how many people cannot text and carry on a conversation at the same time. Plus, research says that over 10% of teens send over 100 messages a day. We decided to find how much texting does affect you and everyday things. Our hypothesis for this is that texting can significantly change how one communicates verbally. To test this, we first had a student from Bingham High School read a children’s book and asked them questions about the book as a control test. Next, we had the same student read another children’s book, and this time text from a prompt given by us while we ask them questions about the book. We did this test twice but with a third book. To analyze our data, we first gave them scores from a point system we made. Then, we took the difference between the control book and one of the tested books. Our data was scattered. However, results show that many students were greatly distracted. One implication we would change next time is to count the errors within the text. With this information, we can apply it to how phones distract from everyday things such as talking, driving, paying attention in school, and forming relationships. |
| Project Title | How Does Texting Affect You? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0209 |
| Student Name | Morgan Judd
Ashley Judd Cassidy Grizzle |
| Abstract | For our experiment, we tested how texting affects students’ communication. You have probably noticed how many people cannot text and carry on a conversation at the same time. Plus, research says that over 10% of teens send over 100 messages a day. We decided to find how much texting does affect you and everyday things. Our hypothesis for this is that texting can significantly change how one communicates verbally. To test this, we first had a student from Bingham High School read a children’s book and asked them questions about the book as a control test. Next, we had the same student read another children’s book, and this time text from a prompt given by us while we ask them questions about the book. We did this test twice but with a third book. To analyze our data, we first gave them scores from a point system we made. Then, we took the difference between the control book and one of the tested books. Our data was scattered. However, results show that many students were greatly distracted. One implication we would change next time is to count the errors within the text. With this information, we can apply it to how phones distract from everyday things such as talking, driving, paying attention in school, and forming relationships. |
| Project Title | How Does Texting Affect You? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0209 |
| Student Name | Cassidy Grizzle
Ashley Judd Morgan Judd |
| Abstract | For our experiment, we tested how texting affects students’ communication. You have probably noticed how many people cannot text and carry on a conversation at the same time. Plus, research says that over 10% of teens send over 100 messages a day. We decided to find how much texting does affect you and everyday things. Our hypothesis for this is that texting can significantly change how one communicates verbally. To test this, we first had a student from Bingham High School read a children’s book and asked them questions about the book as a control test. Next, we had the same student read another children’s book, and this time text from a prompt given by us while we ask them questions about the book. We did this test twice but with a third book. To analyze our data, we first gave them scores from a point system we made. Then, we took the difference between the control book and one of the tested books. Our data was scattered. However, results show that many students were greatly distracted. One implication we would change next time is to count the errors within the text. With this information, we can apply it to how phones distract from everyday things such as talking, driving, paying attention in school, and forming relationships. |
| Project Title | Analytical Synthesis of Cognitive Reasoning in Marketing |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0210 |
| Student Name | Keegan McGhie |
| Abstract | Large companies of today’s world spend millions of dollars every year on advertising. These companies have to hone in on specific targeted age and gender groups to ensure advertising success. The purpose of my project is to study the impact certain commercials have on generating enough interest in a product to influence buying decisions for certain age groups. My hypothesis states that certain age groups will be influenced by certain commercials more than others, because of the intended target age group of that specific commercial. To prove my hypothesis, I showed seven specific commercials that I felt were targeted to certain age and gender groups. Through analysis of an eight-question survey, I have concluded the following: four out of the seven commercials had a different target age and gender group than what was expected. All of the commercials I showed did in fact have a target age group and gender, 57% of which differed from my hypothesis. My report shows the detailed analysis of how these results were concluded. This science project is extremely helpful to society because it shows that target age groups can differ from the original intent of the creators, thus possibly wasting several millions of dollars in advertising. Determining the target age group of a commercial can be very important because you can use that information to decide when and where to show that advertisement. Studies such as this would help to reduce waste and could reduce the amount of ineffective advertising ventures. |
| Project Title | Noticing the Difference |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0211 |
| Student Name | Shelby Shirley
An Roberts |
| Abstract | There are many beliefs caused by assumption that women being more observant to details than men. This experiment was performed to discover, once and for all, the advantages or lack thereof that the female gender has over the male gender while observing details. It was hypothesized that females would notice a substantial amount more details than the males would. In the experiment, students were asked to go through a PowerPoint and were then asked questions to determine how much they noticed when looking at certain pictures. The answers were graded according to a pre-written key. It was found that when ten students took the survey, the girls overall noticed 50% of the details correctly and the boys noticed 40% correctly. However, after adding more students the girls average stayed the same but the boys average rose 2%. The end result disproves our hypothesis and supports the conclusion that although, for the most part, females do observe more details, how much is noticed depends a lot on the individual. The data showed the female average was higher but the individual scores varied. The data, when collected together, proves that females have a slight advantage, but it also proves that it is primarily dependent upon the individual and their personality, intelligence, and their own personal preference. |
| Project Title | Noticing the Difference |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0211 |
| Student Name | Anna Roberts
Shelby Shirley |
| Abstract | There are many beliefs caused by assumption that women being more observant to details than men. This experiment was performed to discover, once and for all, the advantages or lack thereof that the female gender has over the male gender while observing details. It was hypothesized that females would notice a substantial amount more details than the males would. In the experiment, students were asked to go through a PowerPoint and were then asked questions to determine how much they noticed when looking at certain pictures. The answers were graded according to a pre-written key. It was found that when ten students took the survey, the girls overall noticed 50% of the details correctly and the boys noticed 40% correctly. However, after adding more students the girls average stayed the same but the boys average rose 2%. The end result disproves our hypothesis and supports the conclusion that although, for the most part, females do observe more details, how much is noticed depends a lot on the individual. The data showed the female average was higher but the individual scores varied. The data, when collected together, proves that females have a slight advantage, but it also proves that it is primarily dependent upon the individual and their personality, intelligence, and their own personal preference. |
| Project Title | Procrustean Academics |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0212 |
| Student Name | James Miles |
| Abstract | The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of self-concept on algebra test achievement. The experiment occurred in two versions. In the first experiment, geometry students were given three free-response tests over a period of three days. Between each test, students received feedback in the form of a score chart. Half of the scores were falsified. Half were not. Notably, none were greater than 77%. An analysis of overall test performance did not reveal any relationships, but an analysis of the first section of questions revealed a linear relationship between a subject’s comparative rank and their performance on that section. In the second experiment, students were again given three free response tests over a period of three days. Between the first and second tests, students were not given feedback. Immediately before the administration of the third test, students were given a predetermined percentile score. The majority of student exhibited positive change between the first and second test, with the exception of one student who exhibited no change. After receiving the results for the third test, some students vocalized their emotional responses. The changes between the second and third tests corresponded to those responses. Notably, one student increased their score by 63% upon positive stimulus. From this data I draw the conclusion that a change in self-image may result in a change in performance. Benefits of this experiment could possibly include the creation of a more effective remedial program. |
| Project Title | Do Distractions Affect A Person’s Perception Of Time? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0213 |
| Student Name | Ian Webb
Ian Webb Brynne Peterson |
| Abstract | A study was conducted to investigate the effect of distraction on a person’s perception of time. Subjects were asked to guess when three minutes had elapsed, both in distracted and in distracting environments. Distractions were created by simultaneously playing loud techno music and an action scene from a movie. It was found that distraction do affect a person’s perception of time. Distracted subjects guessed father away from the three minute target than when undistracted. Girls were more affected by distraction than boys. |
| Project Title | Do Distractions Affect a Person's Perception of Time? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0213 |
| Student Name | Brynne Peterson
Ian Webb |
| Abstract | A study was conducted to investigate the effect of distraction on a person’s perception of time. Subjects were asked to guess when three minutes had elapsed, both in distracted and in distracting environments. Distractions were created by simultaneously playing loud techno music and an action scene from a movie. It was found that distraction do affect a person’s perception of time. Distracted subjects guessed father away from the three minute target than when undistracted. Girls were more affected by distraction than boys. |
| Project Title | To Praise or Not to Praise? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0214 |
| Student Name | Haley Zimmerman
Rachel Zimmerman Sharlene Nauta |
| Abstract | Does praise positively affect the motor skills on children aged 3-4? We hypothesized that the children would perform faster with praise. We tested this by going to local preschools. We then took the children one-by-one and had them do a puzzle at their age level. The 3-year olds were given wooden peg puzzles where they had to match shapes. The 4-year olds had cardboard puzzles with pictures on them. We had the children do a puzzle once without praise and we timed them while they did it. Then we sent them to a different person who had them do a different puzzle of the same type and difficulty. This time, however, we gave them praise. We timed each child both times and recorded the data on a piece of paper. We then put the data into charts and graphs so we could easily compare data. When we compared results we noticed that when the children were given praise, on average, they put the puzzles together at a quicker speed. From this, we came to the conclusion that children between the ages of 3-4 use their motor skills more effectively when they are given praise. This could be used to improve the educational systems and to assist learning in the home involving toddlers in the home. |
| Project Title | To Praise or Not to Praise? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0214 |
| Student Name | Sharlene Nauta
Rachel Zimmerman Haley Zimmerman |
| Abstract | Does praise positively affect the motor skills on children aged 3-4? We hypothesized that the children would perform faster with praise. We tested this by going to local preschools. We then took the children one-by-one and had them do a puzzle at their age level. The 3-year olds were given wooden peg puzzles where they had to match shapes. The 4-year olds had cardboard puzzles with pictures on them. We had the children do a puzzle once without praise and we timed them while they did it. Then we sent them to a different person who had them do a different puzzle of the same type and difficulty. This time, however, we gave them praise. We timed each child both times and recorded the data on a piece of paper. We then put the data into charts and graphs so we could easily compare data. When we compared results we noticed that when the children were given praise, on average, they put the puzzles together at a quicker speed. From this, we came to the conclusion that children between the ages of 3-4 use their motor skills more effectively when they are given praise. This could be used to improve the educational systems and to assist learning in the home involving toddlers in the home. |
| Project Title | To Praise or Not to Praise? |
| Category | Behavioral & Social Science |
| Table Number | H0214 |
| Student Name | Rachel Zimmerman
Sharlene Nauta Haley Zimmerman |
| Abstract | Does praise positively affect the motor skills on children aged 3-4? We hypothesized that the children would perform faster with praise. We tested this by going to local preschools. We then took the children one-by-one and had them do a puzzle at their age level. The 3-year olds were given wooden peg puzzles where they had to match shapes. The 4-year olds had cardboard puzzles with pictures on them. We had the children do a puzzle once without praise and we timed them while they did it. Then we sent them to a different person who had them do a different puzzle of the same type and difficulty. This time, however, we gave them praise. We timed each child both times and recorded the data on a piece of paper. We then put the data into charts and graphs so we could easily compare data. When we compared results we noticed that when the children were given praise, on average, they put the puzzles together at a quicker speed. From this, we came to the conclusion that children between the ages of 3-4 use their motor skills more effectively when they are given praise. This could be used to improve the educational systems and to assist learning in the home involving toddlers in the home. |
| Project Title | Classification of Nicotinic, Acetylcholine Receptors in the Hippocampus through Ion Current Analysis |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0301 |
| Student Name | Strom Clark |
| Abstract | The purpose of this project is to categorize different types of ligand-gated ion channels found in the interneuron CA1 region of the hippocampus and measure the effects that Beta Amyloid has on these specific types of receptors. The nicotinic-acetylcholine receptor groups consisted of both ?3 and ?2 receptor protein sub groups. These types of receptors have rarely been studied and are present sporadically throughout the hippocampus where they help to create new memories. These cellular receptors rely on the structure of a pentomer to expand when in contact with Acetylcholine. Ach molecules bind to these ?3 and ?2 ion channel receptors to allow flow of energy through the cell. When open, currents in the form of ions (Na+, K+) enter or exit the cell. These ?3 and ?2 ligand-gated ion channels allow the flow of information through neurons. Categorizing these types of ion receptors will permit better understanding of memory creation. Desensitization of these ?3 and ?2 types of receptors in the hippocampus by disease, age or other causes leads to brain disorders exhibited in symptoms such as Alzheimer’s, anteriograde amnesia, etc. It is believed that this desensitization is due to a buildup of Beta Amyloid, thus studying the effects that Beta Amyloid has on these receptors will help us better understand how Alzheimer’s is exhibited through these receptors This study looked specifically at the 8 possible combinations of the receptor subgroups. I categorized the ?3 and ?2 receptors by synthesizing RNA from the DNA used to make these ?3 and ?2 receptors and injected the RNA into frog oocytes. I injected the RNA in different concentrations to get different combinations of ?3 and ?2 receptors. I then measured the amount of ions let into the cell using and electrode. From here, I observed the effects that Beta Amyloid had on the cell when applied |
| Project Title | Positive Identification of Bacillus Anthracis by GC-MS |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0302 |
| Student Name | Garth Lee
Garth Lee |
| Abstract | Bacillus anthracis, anthrax, is a highly toxic, robust, easily weaponized biological warfare agent. Production and delivery of this bioweapon are easy, and conventional analytical methods to detect it are somewhat involved and time-consuming. Thus, anthrax is a weapon highly favored by terrorists and therefore a serious concern for national security. Because of these reasons, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) are very interested in an easy, rapid method to detect and positively identify this bacterium. A new method for positive identification of anthrax has been discovered and is being refined as described in this Science Fair project. This method, which is simple and rapid enough to be utilized at a moment’s notice at any location, involves thermochemolysis methylation (TCM) followed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Through this experiement specific biomarkers were used to distinguish BA from similar bacterial strains. The methodology and analytical instrumentation can be applied to unambiguous determinations of other weaponizable biological organisms such as smallpox and plague. Furthermore, this method could be used in hospitals, medical clinics, medical laboratories, and other locations for rapid detection and identification of diseases. While the method is currently suitable for use in a laboratory setting, future work will involve adapting the procedure to hand-portable instrumentation. Key words: anthrax, smallpox, plague, chemical warfare agent, bioweapon, DHS, DOD, TCM, GC-MS, rapid determination. |
| Project Title | Osmosis in Action! |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0303 |
| Student Name | Lindsey Holgate
Alicia Robinson |
| Abstract | The biggest milestone in an American teenager’s life is to start dating, but what happens when you’re at dinner and you spill soda onto the table cloth? However, when you glance down at your lap below, you notice that the soda is dripping onto your new dress! What do you do now? Our experiment was to discover how much liquid will soak into your dress in the next 24 hours. The project hypothesis was, if a liquid has fewer ingredients, then it will travel faster through the fabric medium. We decided to use three different liquids with differences that could affect the results. We poured ¾ of a cup of coke, orange juice, and water into plastic cups and placed them on a plastic tub, then put empty plastic cups below them on the counter. We ran a piece of cotton fabric from the top cup to the lower cup. We let them sit for 24 hours and then measured the transferred liquids. The results for our project were that the water transferred best. The averages were about 2.03 teaspoons for the water, .08 for orange juice, and 1.52 for coke. Our hypothesis was correct, though, not by much. Our measurements were all over the place! The orange juice never even made to the bottom. Concerning the situation above, we now know that you will not get more than ½ teaspoon of soda soaked into your dress. |
| Project Title | Osmosis in Action! |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0303 |
| Student Name | Alicia Robinson
Lindsey Holgate |
| Abstract | The biggest milestone in an American teenager’s life is to start dating, but what happens when you’re at dinner and you spill soda onto the table cloth? However, when you glance down at your lap below, you notice that the soda is dripping onto your new dress! What do you do now? Our experiment was to discover how much liquid will soak into your dress in the next 24 hours. The project hypothesis was, if a liquid has fewer ingredients, then it will travel faster through the fabric medium. We decided to use three different liquids with differences that could affect the results. We poured ¾ of a cup of coke, orange juice, and water into plastic cups and placed them on a plastic tub, then put empty plastic cups below them on the counter. We ran a piece of cotton fabric from the top cup to the lower cup. We let them sit for 24 hours and then measured the transferred liquids. The results for our project were that the water transferred best. The averages were about 2.03 teaspoons for the water, .08 for orange juice, and 1.52 for coke. Our hypothesis was correct, though, not by much. Our measurements were all over the place! The orange juice never even made to the bottom. Concerning the situation above, we now know that you will not get more than ½ teaspoon of soda soaked into your dress. |
| Project Title | The Magnetic Collection of Petroleum Using Suspended Magnetite |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0304 |
| Student Name | Clayton Skousen Skousen |
| Abstract | If suspended (nanometer sized) magnetite is added to petroleum, then magnetic forces can be applied to collect the petroleum based ferrofluid. Steel wool was added to Ferric Chloride in a beaker. This made the steel wool break down in the Ferric Chloride. Once the Ferric Chloride was fully saturated, the solution was filtered through a filter paper, and placed into another beaker. The filtered Ferric Chloride then had Ammonium Hydroxide slowly added through a burette, making the solution turned black in color. At this point the whole solution was heated, and Oleic Acid was added. At 200° F, the solution boiled letting off some excess fluid. Once the solution cooled, the suspended magnetite collected together. The suspended magnetite was sucked up into a syringe and measured. Nine plastic containers were filled with two milliliters of the suspended magnetite, and divided into three fuel categories. One of the three petro-chemicals was then added to the suspended magnetite at various ratios and stirred. With the ferrofluids made, the fluids were separately added to nine containers filled with water. With the various ferrofluids floating in separate containers, a magnet was placed next to each container. Conclusions were drawn based on the magnetic reaction of the petro-chemical in each container. The diesel worked best at the 50/50 ratio mix (of suspended magnetite and petro-chemical), while the aviation fuel and the gasoline both worked well with the 25/75 and 50/50 mixture tests, meaning that a ratio somewhere in between would work best. |
| Project Title | Got Vitamin C? |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0305 |
| Student Name | Hannah Tambasco |
| Abstract | Got Vitamin C Hannah Tambasco Spanish Fork Jr. High, Spanish Fork Utah, United States Purpose: To see if there is a trend in the concentration of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) in oranges as a function to its ripeness. Titration procedure: 1. Set up flasks and oranges. (One flask for each orange under-ripe, half-ripe, and ripe.) 2. Cut oranges and squeeze enough juice to make 25 ml. 3. Begin dropping (titrate) iodine into ripe orange juice first, one drop at a time. Stir thoroughly after each drop. Record results/number of drops. Once the liquid turns color (in this case green) that means the Vitamin C has neutralized with the iodine. 4. Repeat process with half-ripe then the under-ripe oranges. 5. Compare titration results among oranges. Data: The under-ripe orange had the most Vitamin C content. The ripe orange required 70 drops of iodine to neutralize, the half-ripe orange required 85 drops, and the under-ripe orange required 90 drops. So the more an orange ripens the less Vitamin C it contains. Conclusion: The less ripe an orange is the more Vitamin C there is in the orange. So when a orange ripens it looses its Vitamin C content. Therefore eating unripe oranges is better for you to eat. While it may still be a little green, it may no taste much different, but will benefit you more by giving your body a better source of Vitamin. |
| Project Title | Production of Hydrogen by Electrolysis of Urine |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0306 |
| Student Name | Kelton George
Camden Lawrence |
| Abstract | We conducted this experiment to test whether or not if urine is viable source of Hydrogen. The reason for this is to provide a renewable source of fuel. Hydrogen is a very clean fuel source. If in the future, we can extract Hydrogen out of urine to power cars, office and corporate buildings, etc., we can have a significant impact on the “world fuel crisis” ultimately, reducing greenhouse emissions and closing the ozone hole. Our hypothesis is that we will be able to extract enough Hydrogen via electrolysis on urine to be economically feasible. Our method is simply to run electrolysis through water matching the average salinity of urine then doing the same with urine and comparing the results. Our procedure is essentially building an electrolysis machine, then using it to test urine and water comparatively. Our data shows that urine produced 5.49 times as much hydrogen as water did. This was done with the same voltage in the same amount of time. There are endless applications for this technology. One day, cars could “run on pee.” Colleges could use this as a portion of the power they use. 5 volts is easily produced by solar panels. This could be channeled directly into electrolysis, resulting in “free Hydrogen.” This would reduce our dependency on natural gas and fossil fuels. Ultimately, this could change the world as we know it and leave a “good” planet for future generations. |
| Project Title | Napoleon's Buttons |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0307 |
| Student Name | Cache Thompson |
| Abstract | My project tests a scientific theory that attempts to explain Napoleon's failed invasion of Russia in 1812. The theory concerns the tin buttons on the uniforms of the French army. When ordinary, metallic white tin is exposed to temperatures less than 13.2 ºC, it transforms into gray tin, a generally useless powdery material. The theory explores the possibility that the tin buttons on the uniforms of Napoleon's soldiers disintegrated in such a fashion during the cold Russian winter and that this contributed to Napoleon's defeat. I was skeptical of the veracity of this theory upon first hearing it, so I decided to put it to the test. I acquired 16 buttons of pure tin and placed some of them in a freezer to simulate the cold winter conditions. Based on the meteorological records for 1812, I selected -5 ºC as the freezer's temperature. Eight of the buttons were placed in the freezer for six weeks and four of the buttons for twelve weeks. The remaining four buttons formed the control group and were not exposed to the cold temperatures at all. At the end of the experiment, not one of the tin buttons displayed any signs of the white-to-gray transformation, called “tin disease.” I concluded that the theory was highly improbable; Napoleon's buttons would likely not have disintegrated due to the cold of the Russian winter. Although several historical records support this conclusion, my project provides an additional dimension to the discussion of the theory's merits: scientific evidence. |
| Project Title | The Synthesis and Size Reduction of Dispersed Aggregates of Molybdenum Oxide Nanoparticles for use in Long Chain Hydrocarbon Cracking |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0308 |
| Student Name | Brielle Woolsey
Natalia Anderton |
| Abstract | We have developed a novel method for making a homogenous high surface area catalyst for use in petroleum hydrocarbon cracking. Crude oil with heavy hydrocarbons and undesirable sulfur content must be broken down with catalysts into useable oil with smaller hydrocarbons. We synthesized nanoparticle MoO3 as a precursor to the hydrocracking catalyst by adapting a process patented by Cosmas Inc. Our MoO3 nanoparticles have small sizes (20-30 nm), high surface areas, and tight size distributions that are unmatched in the professional nano-chemical field. We sonicated (5 minutes) and milled (1.5 hours with 1.5 µm beads and then 3 hours with 0.1 µm beads) our nanoparticles to attain a translucent suspension in acidified aqueous solution. Large aggregates were broken, aiding a more uniform distribution of the particles. The high surface area, and thus high catalytic activity, of our suspended MoO3 nanoparticles will greatly economize petroleum refining once they are sulfurized because of the low percent yield (30-60%) of the MoO3 reaction and inflating expense of bulk hydrotreating catalysts. We plan further research and experimentation to discover a method to sulfurize the MoO3 and disperse the nanoparticle MoS2 in a non-polarized organic solvent. Our economic, green, and simple production of dispersed high surface area nanoparticle MoS2 will be a significant advancement in the petroleum refining industry as a long chain hydrocarbon cracking catalyst. |
| Project Title | A Sound Idea: Using a Series of Combustible Reactions to Compare the Strengths of Chemical Bonds |
| Category | Biochemistry & Chemistry |
| Table Number | H0309 |
| Student Name | Jessica Peters |
| Abstract | My dad has told me multiple stories about when he was younger. One of which was when he mad balloon explosions. This had me interested and I thought of some different ways that I could test with them. I had wondered simply why some atoms stuck to each other and not others. If I added individual bond energies on one side of a chemical equation and subtracted them from the other, I could predict how much energy will be released in a chemical reaction. I began preparing for the experiment by choosing two chemicals - acetylene (triple bond) and propane (single bond) - and doing the math (as shown in project report). I counted the number of bond energies for each chemical and multiplied it by their number of strength measured in joules. I predicted that acetylene would be louder because, after the math, it would supposedly have more energy left over. I started the experiment by filling up the balloons with their required ratios of chemicals and oxygen. Once three of each type of chemical was filled up, I attached a fuse to them and blew them up. While the explosions were happening I had a decibel meter, recording the sound, eleven feet away. I recorded all the decibel readings and found out my hypothesis was wrong. Propane ended up being louder. I had so much fun doing this project and learned many new things. |
| Project Title | Production of Hydrogen by the Electrolysis of Urine |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0306 |
| Student Name | Camden Lawrence
Kelton George |
| Abstract | We conducted this experiment to test whether or not if urine is viable source of Hydrogen. The reason for this is to provide a renewable source of fuel. Hydrogen is a very clean fuel source. If in the future, we can extract Hydrogen out of urine to power cars, office and corporate buildings, etc., we can have a significant impact on the “world fuel crisis” ultimately, reducing greenhouse emissions and closing the ozone hole. Our hypothesis is that we will be able to extract enough Hydrogen via electrolysis on urine to be economically feasible. Our method is simply to run electrolysis through water matching the average salinity of urine then doing the same with urine and comparing the results. Our procedure is essentially building an electrolysis machine, then using it to test urine and water comparatively. Our data shows that urine produced 5.49 times as much hydrogen as water did. This was done with the same voltage in the same amount of time. There are endless applications for this technology. One day, cars could “run on pee.” Colleges could use this as a portion of the power they use. 5 volts is easily produced by solar panels. This could be channeled directly into electrolysis, resulting in “free Hydrogen.” This would reduce our dependency on natural gas and fossil fuels. Ultimately, this could change the world as we know it and leave a “good” planet for future generations. |
| Project Title | How Do You Get Caught On The Web? |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0401 |
| Student Name | Nathan Christiansen |
| Abstract | How Do You Get Caught On The Web? Nathan Christiansen Spanish Fork Junior High, Spanish Fork UT, USA For this project I tested four different websites with four different types of traffic. The different types that I tested were: 1. How much time a visitor would spend on the website 2. How many pages the visitor would visit 3. What days of the week that the most visitors would go to the website 4. How many overall visits the website had All of these variables were tested between the dates of August 1, 2010 and December 1, 2010. The data from this project can be very important to anyone who owns a website or business. By knowing what days of the week your site is most visited you can adjust your Google Adwords bid for those specific days. With this you will also have a higher conversion rate on Google Adsense or other affiliate offers. Through this data you can find what parts of your website may be weaker. One simple change can make a huge effect. When I changed a picture on my website I found that the conversion rate raised 12%. When you create a website it is vital that you know how well the subject performs and how many people are actually interested in seeing your website. To test each website I used Google Analytics and ran several different reports to find raw data. I then compiled all of the data and compared the different websites to find that the subject of a website is vital to know how much traffic flow you will get. |
| Project Title | The Tower Defense Game: Rapid Application Development Using Python Scripting |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0402 |
| Student Name | Joshua Cockrell |
| Abstract | Rapid application development models are used to quickly develop ideas into working programs; they work by allowing developers to spend minimal time on the pre-planning phase of a project, and instead, application requirements (features) are defined during testing. The objective of this computer science project was to develop a fully functional and original tower defense game using the rapid application development model. Open source builds were released often onto online game databases, allowing a broad audience to play the game. The large, diverse audience helped to provide lots of quick and valuable feedback. The feedback was split up and used to form goals, which were fed into a priority list. Using this priority list development and expansion proceeded rapidly. The Rapid Application Development model showed me that it is possible for a one-man team to develop an entire game, which would not have been possible using a linear development model. This model was a successful way to quickly create a polished, enjoyable, and finished product. |
| Project Title | White Balance |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0403 |
| Student Name | Nicole Cox
Alexis Nelson |
| Abstract | For our project, the question that Alexis and I were asking was which White Balance setting is closest to what the human eye sees in different light settings. We knew that White Balance is a setting on a camera with different options that could change, but we didn’t know much else about it. We did some research about it to find out what it was and we had come to find out that white balance pulls out more of different colors depending on the setting and the light. So we went to Riverton Elementary and took some pictures on the swings with my Cannon Digital Camera and we took one picture per White Balance Setting and we went through that process for each of us. Then we went to Alexis’s house and took some pictures doing the same process in her room with just her window light. Then we continued this process by taking some pictures in her garage. In the end, after we compared all the pictures, we found that Auto White Balance is the closest to what the human eye sees. |
| Project Title | The EyeMouse Mark II |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0404 |
| Student Name | Joseph Ivie |
| Abstract | I am trying to find the best method to track a user's eye through a webcam, so that it could be used as a mouse. In other words, the program places the mouse cursor wherever you look. Each method is tested by measuring the CPU usage and the distance from the method's guess of where your eye is looking to a target after one second. The methods I have tested so far include one that just tracks the eye (where you must tilt your head), one that just tracks the pupil (you must keep your head still), and one that combines both of them. However, research is ongoing, and by the time I come I shall have tested more methods. So far, the one that just tracks the pupil has worked the best, using only 31% of CPU time and having an average accuracy within 60 pixels. A program like this in its finished state could be used to increase productivity because you wouldn't have to take your hands off the keyboard to use the mouse. It could also be used for those that are paralyzed so that they could use computers. |
| Project Title | Scratch Input 2 |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0405 |
| Student Name | North McCormick |
| Abstract | My name is North McCormick and my project is Scratch Input 2. Scratch Input 2 is a new rising technology first developed by Chris Harrison and is now being expanded by North. This is the future of home, hardware, and entertainment control without any remotes or complicated setup. Traditional control devices need remotes or use voice recognition which is unstable. We need an alternative, Scratch Input 2. The system works by taking input from a user that taps or scratches on a wall by using a homemade contact microphone. This input is then put into the software I developed using C#, the .NET framework and SFML 2. The software parses the sound and executes commands according to what the user did on the wall. The range of where you can tap relative to the microphone that is attached to the wall is usually below 75’. If further the sound will have dissipated too much. The software right now can recognize single, double, and triple taps with a good accuracy rate. The software can be adjusted to be more or less sensitive with the use of one variable. The applications of this project are very great. It can be used virtually anywhere and is easily expandable. The hardware can be made wireless as to eliminate the use of wires in the house, making it very realistic for anyone to setup. The software is able to scale vertically with a few simple commands. This is the future of remote control input. |
| Project Title | Death of the DVD: Projective Analysis of the Lifespan of Recordable Optical Discs |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0406 |
| Student Name | Ernest Rust |
| Abstract | Last year over eight billion recordable DVD optical discs were sold to consumers worldwide. Most people assume that once information is stored on the disc, it will last forever because it is in digital format. Like all products, however, DVDs degrade over time and will eventually lose enough data that they become unreadable. Accelerated life testing using heat and humidity allows us to estimate when potential failure will occur. This project attempts to answer the question of how long they will last. DVD-R discs were subjected to multiple stress cycles, using a dishwasher as the environmental chamber, and measured for PIE8-Max and other error metrics after each cycle. Software utilities and scripts were written in AutoIt, Perl, C, and SAS JMP to assist in the collection and analysis of more than a quarter million data points. Curve fitting led to the use of a log-linear model that can approximate the data. Mathematical functions were generated from the results to represent the decay rates of each brand. By assuming that some advertised lifespan claims are correct, based on either the Eyring Method or the Arrhenius Method, and statistically comparing them with one other, I was able to project the MTTF (mean time to failure) of each of the DVD-R brands tested. |
| Project Title | How can I develop an iphone app? |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0407 |
| Student Name | Clayton Ward |
| Abstract | When I was younger I use to make a craft called Boondoggle, and when I got my ipod touch I noticed there were no apps related to Boondoggle available on the app store. So I began to wonder, how does it all work? Were do the apps on the app store come from? So I began to research iphone development. This was a little hard because I didn't know anyone who programmed or knew anything about iphone development. But after about six very long months of searching, I finally found that I needed to download a program for my computer called the Xcode SDK. Which was a big start. So I keep researching, and becoming more specific in my searches. So after I had a little experience I started a Boondoggle app. So I kept trying and trying until I (sort of) figured out what I was doing. After three months of pure Boondoggle app making, it was ready for the app store. And I heard my neighbor actually had a business account set up with apple for app submission. So he kindly agreed to let me publish my apps through his company. And after that bam, the app store now had a Boondoggle app. The apps are now fully functional, there are no bugs or problems and can be downloaded onto everyones ipods, iphones, and ipads (for only $0.99). So thats my project, feel free to download Boondoggle Full from the app store today. |
| Project Title | Stars and Stripes Forever |
| Category | Computer Science |
| Table Number | H0408 |
| Student Name | F Lancelot Gerday |
| Abstract | This Interactive Graphical User Interface application allows the user to draw an American Flag and have it evaluated. The choice of the project was motivated by the fact that everyone knows our flag, and that although the flag is composed of simple graphical elements it is still reasonably complex. The second goal was to expand my programming knowledge. I used the Java language in the NetBeans Integrated Development Environment (IDE). IDEs assist computer programmers in writing and debugging their code by identifying compile time and run time errors. They also help with syntax and formatting code. I used the object oriented nature of the Java programming language to organize my program into separate classes. I created some classes and used some of the classes from the Java 6 API (Oracle). Two of the main concepts in object oriented programming are the “has-a” and “is-a” relationships. Containers demonstrate “has-a” relationship for example, JFrame that has a DrawingPanel, a JColorChooser, and a menu of buttons. The DrawingPanel contains Stars and Rectangles. The Java programming language also uses inheritance to create subclasses which display the “is-a” relationship. In my project, DrawingPanel is a subclass of JPanel (a built-in Java class), and Stars and Rectangles implement the Shape interface. Users interact with the application by using the mouse to select and drag graphical objects and to choose buttons from a menu. A scoring system compares the official United States flag with the user’s design. My application meets its goals and is user-friendly. |
| Project Title | using amino acid profiles to distinguish meteorites from rocks launched into space from earth |
| Category | Earth & Planetary Science |
| Table Number | H0501 |
| Student Name | Jane M. Cox |
| Abstract | Since Meteorites from Mars have been found on earth, I reasoned that it could be possible that meteorites from earth occur on the Martian surface. If probes on Mars analyze rocks that were propelled to Mars from earth, and find signs of life, such as cyanobacteria, this could be mistaken as proof of extraterrestrial life on Mars. My project sought to ascertain if meteorites could be distinguished using their amino acid profiles. I analyzed two meteorites, the Kilabo LL6 chondrite and the Murchison CM2 carbonaceous chondrite. I also analyzed a sample of sandstone containing endolithic cyanobacteria, a stromatolite, and a control sandstone. After obtaining an interior piece of each rock, I hydrolyzed all samples, and separated a pellet and a supernatant. I then ran the samples through an amino acid analyzer, and compared the different amino acids in each sample. Both the meteorites and the endolithic sandstone contained unique amino acid profiles, and the stromatolite, although billions of years old, also contained trace amounts of a unique amino acid profile. My work is the first complete amino acid analysis of an endolithic cyanobacteria as well as a stromatolite. The control sandstone did not have amino acids in it, showing that the other samples I worked with were not contaminated during the work and analysis that I did with them. In conclusion, I have shown that meteorites can be distinguished by their amino acid profiles. |
| Project Title | Temperature Effects on a Solar Cell |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0601 |
| Student Name | Brent Beales |
| Abstract | Original Question: Why does a solar cell produce more energy in the summertime than in the winter? I wanted to know if the temperature affects the amount of energy that a solar cell produces. Hypothesis: I believe that a solar cell will have a higher energy conversion if it is hot than compared to a cooler one. Procedure: I tested this theory by placing a solar cell and a ceramic tile into the freezer and letting it cool down to around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. I then placed the ceramic tile under the solar cell to keep the cell from heating up too fast. Using the amp and volt meter, I recorded the amps and volts every five degrees. Once the cell and tile reached room temperature, I used a hairdryer to heat the ceramic tile slowly. I continued to record the data every five degrees until the solar cell reached 135 degrees. When I record the amps and volts it is so that I can get a measurement called watts. A watt is a unit of electrical power. The equation to get watts is the number of volts multiplied by number of amps. As I recorded the data it seemed as though the volts decreased when the solar cell was heated. Results: My data showed that a solar cell would have a higher energy conversion if it is colder. This is because the electrical resistance in a warmer cell is greater than in a cooler cell. |
| Project Title | Will adding a diesel fuel or an antigel to biodiesel more effectively lower its pour point? |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0602 |
| Student Name | Hayden Dobyns
Brenn Burnett Grant Evelyn |
| Abstract | Biodiesel is an alternative fuel source to petroleum-based diesel. Biodiesel is cleaner, cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and better for your engine then regular diesel. While is seems that biodiesel would be the obvious fuel choice, the major drawback to biodiesel is that it starts to congeal at relatively high temperatures (as high as 40° Fahrenheit). This means that in colder climates, biodiesel will start to gel, and clog the fuel lines of an engine, causing it to stall. To fix this problem, people will often use chemical additives to lower the temperature of the gel point of their biodiesel. The two most commonly used additives are specific antigel products, and regular diesel; which already contains many effective antigels. The purpose of our project was to determine which of these two products more effectively lowered the pour point of biodiesel. Our hypothesis was that a regular diesel additive would be more effective since we knew that regular diesel already contained powerful and effective antigels. To test our hypothesis, we set up a preliminary test and a primary test. Our preliminary test was very basic and was used to get an idea of what our primary test results should look like. To carry out our preliminary test we first prepared five (5) solutions. Solution #1 was 500 mL of unaltered biodiesel and was used as a control. Solution #2 was 499 mL of biodiesel and 1 mL of regular diesel. Solutions #2, #3, and #4 were 499 mL of biodiesel and 1 mL of different antigel agents. We placed all five solutions in a freezer and checked on them after thirty (30) and seventy (70) minutes. For our primary test, we first constructed a test bed. The test bed consisted of a small fuel tank, an electric diesel fuel pump, a pressure gauge, a liquid thermometer, and a diesel fuel filter. We placed the test bed in a temperature chamber set at -30° Celsius and ran the first solution through the test bed. We recorded the temperature and pressure readings every five degrees (Fahrenheit) until it reached 30° Fahrenheit, after which recordings were taken every two degrees. We repeated this process for each solution. At the end of the testing process, we analyzed the data from the two tests. In both of the tests, two of the solutions containing the antigel products outperformed all other solutions; disproving our hypothesis. |
| Project Title | Will adding diesel fuel or an antigel to biodiesel more effectively lower its pour point? |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0602 |
| Student Name | Brennan Burnett
Hayden Dobyns Grant Evelyn |
| Abstract | Biodiesel is a more renewable and environmentally friendly fuel option than diesel, the main fuel used in trucks. However, its one major drawback is its high gelling point. When the temperature drops, biodiesel begins to cloud as wax crystals begin to form. These crystals can clog car pumps and filters. As the temperature drops even lower, the biodiesel reaches its pour point, or the point where it solidifies and does not flow or pour. The question of how to most effectively solve this problem was the main factor in deciding on this project. To lower a biodiesel solution’s pour point, either a diesel or antigel additive is mixed into the biodiesel. This project’s goal is to conclude which of these works most effectively. Prior to experimentation, five solutions containing a set amount of biodiesel and antigel or diesel additive were made. In order for this project’s results to be as accurate as possible, these five solutions were subjected to two separate experiments. The first experiment was conducted for the purpose of gaining a rough estimate of how and when each solution would congeal and for later, proving the authenticity of the second test. The second test was much more specific, and accurately showed each solution’s pour point in Fahrenheit degrees by running each solution through a replica of a diesel fuel intake system. By graphing the results of these experiments, it was clearly evident that although diesel is useful in lowering biodiesel’s pour point, high-grade specialized antigels work most effectively. |
| Project Title | Will adding diesel fuel or an antigel to biodiesel more effectively lower its pour point |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0602 |
| Student Name | R. Grant Evelyn
Hayden Dobyns Brenn Burnett |
| Abstract | My group and I wanted to do something that we thought would benefit society. As we thought of ideas, we remembered that a person in our neighborhood had a fleet of diesel trucks, and that he used biodiesel to fuel them. That’s when we made the decision to base our project on just that. As we started researching, we discovered that biodiesel was better for your engine, it was environmentally friendly, and it was extremely inexpensive in comparison to the normally used, petroleum diesel. The only major draw back was that at low temperatures, it starts to freeze, or congeal. As we continued to research the congealing of biodiesel, we came upon “antigels,” or substances that help reduce congealing. With that we found our project title, “Will adding diesel fuel or an antigel to biodiesel more effectively lower its pour point?” Meaning the point at which the fuel can still pump thru the engine. To begin, we built a test bed, using all diesel parts to replicate a diesel engine. We then made five testing substances. The first one being 100% biodiesel, and the last four being diesel, and antigel mixes. We then would pour our 500ml biodiesel blends into our test bed, and then place it in a temperature chamber. Using a liquid thermometer, and the built in test bed pressure gage, we would monitor and take notes on the corresponding temperatures and pressure readings. After running each fuel mixture, Power Service Diesel Fuel Supplement was the most effective. |
| Project Title | Vegetable Oil Coal Pellets |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0603 |
| Student Name | Lindsey Greer |
| Abstract | Roughly 40% of the nation’s coal is mined in Wyoming. Most Wyoming coal comes from the Powder River Basin (PRB) and is low sulfur but also low Btu/lb. The market for PRB coal is limited due to high transportation costs. Driving moisture from the coal increases the Btu content per lb. and results in lower transportation costs on a per unit basis. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of a process that dries out PRB coal and then pelletizes the dried coal using vegetable oil as a binder. Coal that is dried out typically becomes friable and prone to spontaneous combustion as the coal re-hydrates. My hypothesis is that by using vegetable oil as a binder, coal can be dried out and then pelletized to result in a higher Btu/lb coal product which also resists crumbling and re-hydration. The existence of such a PRB coal product would change power generation in the United States. New markets would open to low sulfur PRB coal. Consuming more low sulfur coal for power generation would reduce pollution. I followed the process described above. I estimated the increase in Btu content and had that estimate confirmed by coal analysis performed at a commercial coal lab. I then measured the deterioration of the pellets for a period of time. The process does increase the Btu content of the coal and measurements obtained during observation demonstrate that the use of vegetable oil as a coal binder results in a more stable coal than the control coal. |
| Project Title | Solar Sonic Power |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0604 |
| Student Name | Kirsten Keith |
| Abstract | My project is on thermoacoustics. One definition of thermoacoustic is the process of turning heat into sound and sound into electricity. I wanted to test this, so I built a thermoacoustic generator, which is a glass tube with a heat source warming up its middle while the ends stay cool. I tested five different thermoacoustic generators before I found the one that actually worked. My sixth test was a glass tube; 80cm long and 2cm in diameter. I put some steel wool about a third of the way in the tube to act as the regenerator. I heated the steel wool with a flame so a wave could be created inside the tube and create sound. It created a sound of 220 hertz. The next step was to make the sound wave travel into a speaker and produce light. There's a magnet inside the speaker that has a cylinder of copper coils around it, and when the sound wave from the generator travels through the speaker it should vibrate the speaker diaphragm which moves the magnet, and sends a current through the copper wire coil, and illuminate the light. However, I could not get the speaker to work. Thus, I still have more research to come. |
| Project Title | Vampire Energy Sucks |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0605 |
| Student Name | Rachel Knighton
Katie Jones |
| Abstract | Standby energy is the electricity consumed when an electronic device is plugged in but not turned on. The purpose of this experiment is to understand more about electricity and how to save energy. In order to test appliances to figure out the amount of milliamps of standby energy consumed, a voltmeter was used to record data. Out of the common household appliances tested, it was found that a DVD player used the most standby energy. To reduce standby energy, unplug single-use items after using them. Using surge protectors for larger, constantly plugged in appliances, such as DVD players, table lamps, and computers will make it easier to turn them completely off. |
| Project Title | Vampire Energy Sucks |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0605 |
| Student Name | Kathryn Jones
Rachel Knighton |
| Abstract | Standby energy is the electricity consumed when an electronic device is plugged in but not turned on. The purpose of this experiment is to understand more about electricity and how to save energy. In order to test appliances to figure out the amount of milliamps of standby energy consumed, a voltmeter was used to record data. Out of the common household appliances tested, it was found that a DVD player used the most standby energy. To reduce standby energy, unplug single-use items after using them. Using surge protectors for larger, constantly plugged in appliances, such as DVD players, table lamps, and computers will make it easier to turn them completely off. |
| Project Title | Wind Power |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0606 |
| Student Name | Megan Lalliss |
| Abstract | Question: Does the shape of the sail affect the amount of energy produced by a windmill? Procedure: 1. Make blades out of cardboard using the same surface areas of each shape. The shapes are isosceles triangles, diamonds, and circles. The three surface areas that I used were 16 cm2, 36 cm2, and 81 cm2. 2. Make the turbine to put the blades on each blade spaced 120 degrees apart. 3. Place fan 3 feet away from windmill. 4. Test control for 1 minute. 5. Test each of the different small shapes for 1 minute. 6. Test each of the different medium shapes for 1 minute. 7. Test each of the different large shapes for 1 minute. 8. Repeat steps 5-7 twice more. Results: I thought that each shape wouldn’t really matter, but I found out that the diamonds worked the best out of all the shapes. |
| Project Title | The Atomic Battery |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0607 |
| Student Name | Chase Mansfield |
| Abstract | Atomic Battery Chase Mansfield Question/Hypothesis I believe it is possible to create a safe, long-life atomic battery using low-level nuclear waste as the fuel. I believe a solar panel coated in re-purposed cadmium phosphate (CdP) exposed to Alpha particles will produce measurable power. I also believe performance will improve in a vacuum. Procedure The battery will consist of the following components: a film container, a solar cell, CdP, electrical contacts, and Americium (Am 241) from used smoke alarms. The following conditions were tested and measured with a voltmeter while the radioactivity was measured with a Geiger counter. 1. Solar panel exposed to Am 241 without CdP 2. Solar panel exposed to Am 241 with CdP 3. Solar panel exposed to Am 241 without CdP in a Vacuum 4. Solar panel exposed to Am 241 with CdP in a Vacuum Results 1. 0.1 millivolt; 2. 0.3 millivolts; 3. 0.5 millivolts; 4. 0.8 millivolts Conclusion My battery worked and my hypothesis was correct. The battery with CdP and no air produced the most power, which was 0.8 millivolts. The amount of energy produced was low, but with more material and time a more efficient battery could be produced. The cost of this battery was $50.00, so it is relatively cheap for an atomic battery that will last 400+ years. I believe that low level radioactive waist could make a viable battery. Most low-level waste gives off safe levels of Alpha particles, which is perfect for producing atomic batteries. |
| Project Title | inexpensive alternative fuels |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0608 |
| Student Name | jonathan wayman
charles wayman reuben wayman |
| Abstract | We are doing this project because it is something that we need and can use everyday of our lives. We are trying to find out if engines will run more efficently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline, and if it does work it won't only benefit us but it can also benefit you. Our purpose of this experiment is to prove that engines will run more efficently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline. Our Hypothesis is: An engine will have a longer run time to the same amount of gasoline when there is a steady input of HHO gas into the air intake of the engine. Procedure: using a container with a lid, drill three holes in the lid for positive and negative wires and one for the HHO output, next cut 11 peices of tin 3"x4" drill three holes through all the peices of tin, for the bolts. Put rubber spacers in between the plates, bolt them together, there are four neg four pos and 3 nuteral, hook pos and neg wire to pos and neg plates. Fill container with distilled water and a teaspoon of baking soda, then put lid sealed air tite on container. Take a battery/battery charger hook to pos and neg wires(turn charger on) then it starts producing HHO. Data: On average a small 3.5hp engine ran 45min with regular gasoline and 64min with 50% HHO and 50% gasoline. Conclusion: Our Hypothesis was proven to be correct because when we put a 50/50 mix of HHO and gasoline in the carberater/air intake it ran almost 20% more efficent/longer than when normal gasoline was ran into it. |
| Project Title | Inexpensive Alternative Fuels |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0608 |
| Student Name | Reuben Wayman
Jothan Wayman Charles Wayman |
| Abstract | We are doing this project because it's something that we need and can use everyday of our lives. We are trying to find out if engines will run more efficiently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline, if it works it can benefit you as well as us. purpose of this experiment is to prove that engines will run more efficiently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline. Hypothesis: An engine will have a longer run time to the same amount of gasoline when there is a steady input of HHO gas into the air-intake of the engine. Procedure: A container with a lid, drill 3 holes in the lid for positive and negative wires and 1 for the HHO output, cut 11 pieces of tin drill 3 holes through all the pieces, Put rubber spacers in-between the pieces and bolt them together, hook pos and neg wire to pos and neg plates. Fill container with distilled water and some baking soda, put lid on container. Take a battery/charger hook it to pos and neg wires(turn charger on)starts producing HHO. Data: On average a small 3.5hp engine ran 45min with regular gasoline and 64min with 50% HHO and 50% gasoline. Conclusion: Our Hypothesis was proven correct because when we put a 50/50 mix of HHO and gasoline in the carb/air intake it ran 20% more efficiently/longer than when gasoline was ran into it. |
| Project Title | Inexpensive Alternative Fuels |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0608 |
| Student Name | charles wayman
jothan wayman reuben wayman |
| Abstract | We are doing this project because it's something that we need and can use everyday of our lives. We are trying to find out if engines will run more efficiently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline, if it works it can benefit you as well as us. purpose of this experiment is to prove that engines will run more efficiently when the fuel is a combination of HHO and gasoline. Hypothesis: An engine will have a longer run time to the same amount of gasoline when there is a steady input of HHO gas into the air-intake of the engine. Procedure: A container with a lid, drill 3 holes in the lid for positive and negative wires and 1 for the HHO output, cut 11 pieces of tin drill 3 holes through all the pieces, Put rubber spacers in-between the pieces and bolt them together, hook pos and neg wire to pos and neg plates. Fill container with distilled water and some baking soda, put lid on container. Take a battery/charger hook it to pos and neg wires(turn charger on)starts producing HHO. Data: On average a small 3.5hp engine ran 45min with regular gasoline and 64min with 50% HHO and 50% gasoline. Conclusion: Our Hypothesis was proven correct because when we put a 50/50 mix of HHO and gasoline in the carb/air intake it ran 20% more efficiently/longer than when gasoline was ran into it. |
| Project Title | Renewable vs. Nonrenewable fuels |
| Category | Energy & Transportation |
| Table Number | H0609 |
| Student Name | Eli Hebdon |
| Abstract | Objective: To determine if the energy in a biofuel is equivalent to the energy in the same amount of nonrenewable fuel. Procedure: suspend a cup of 100mm of water above a flame of a cotton square with ten drops of either canola oil, gasoline, or olive oil. Measure the max heat of the water and the burn time. Determine which fuel is the best fuel source. Conclusion: gasoline was the best fuel because It had the most heat energy and the highest percent change in temperature of the water. As far as the renewable fuels, the canola oil had more heat energy than the olive oil. Though the renewable fuels burned for much longer, they did not heat the water as hot as the gasoline. my hypothesis was correct. Gasoline was the best fuel source overall and canola oil was the best renewable fuel source. |
| Project Title | Wood'n't you know it? |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0701 |
| Student Name | Keaton Adams |
| Abstract | ABSTRACT Category: Engineering Student Name: Keaton Adams Project Title: Woodn’t you know it! I became interested in wood very early because my dad works with wood. The main question I wanted to answer in this project was what wood is best for building, hardwood or softwood? To prove my hypothesis, I performed three tests on eight different woods, using the following methods and data analysis: 1. Strength Test: Hardwoods were stronger in the weight test. 2. Burn Test: Hardwoods caught fire slower, and burned slower. 3. Water Test: The three hardest hardwoods did not soak up much water; the softwoods absorbed much more water, and dried out significantly faster. Through my interviews and other research, other significant and relevant factors were considered, including environment, cost, availability, durability, flexibility, ease of use, and cosmetic properties (look, smell and feel). I concluded that hardwoods are stronger than softwoods, and resist burning and water damage better than softwoods. But hardwoods are 3 – 5 times more expensive than softwoods. Hardwoods (in our area) also aren’t as readily available and they take longer to grow. It should be noted that softwoods can be chemically treated to help resist weather. Also, in building homes, things can be done to help support wood framing (such as braces and plywood supports). There are also ways to make wood more fireproof. So while hardwoods would be stronger, more fire resistant and more water resistant, the most economical choice would be a softwood that is strong and resists bending (fir and pine). |
| Project Title | Decreasing Pollution One Light at a Time |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0702 |
| Student Name | Amber Barron |
| Abstract | Street light fixtures are designed to shine light for different purposes. Unfortunately, some street light designs shine light into the sky where light is not needed wasting energy and creating light pollution. To address the problem, I designed, prototyped, and tested six fixtures. The design criteria was to prevent light trespass (light pollution) and maximize illumination of the intended area using both incandescent and compact fluorescent technology. Using a light meter, I tested each design three times by creating consistent maps: (1) Intensity Map of Light Trespass and (2) Intensity Map of Illuminated Area. To classify whether the fixture gave off light trespass, the Intensity Map of Light Trespass was placed on the ceiling and nine data points were recorded. The Intensity Map of Illuminated Area recorded data from 31 points below the fixture to demonstrate how each fixture distributed light. I designed six prototype fixtures based on three design shapes: cylindrical, conical, and rectangular prism. Throughout my tests, I found odd shaped flaps or elongated edges drastically affected the amount of light illuminated onto the table. The best design, Design #4 (The Flapper), was a rectangular prism with four asymmetrical flaps hanging down. This fixture had no light trespass and maintained steady values, and illuminated the intended area with an acceptable amount of light. My engineering hypothesis was correct. The designed fixtures prototypes prevented light trespass, decreased light pollution, and maximized illumination of the intended area using incandescent and compact fluorescent technology. |
| Project Title | Micro Hydroelectric Generator |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0703 |
| Student Name | Kaitlin Barwick
Katherine Lott Mikaylie Chevalier |
| Abstract | Does changing the water flow rate of the water powering a hydroelectric generator affect the amount of electric current produced? We hypothesized that as the water flow rate increased, the produced current would increase proportionally. Before we could begin our experimentations, we had to construct a miniature hydroelectric generator out of moderately easily obtained household items using instructions that we found on the internet (http://www.re-energy.ca/docs/hydroelectric-generator-cp.pdf). Once we had verified the generator did indeed work (after many aggravations), we connected it to the computer (which graphed the fluctuations of the electricity it received) to monitor the electric output and recorded various increasing water flow rates from a sink faucet and their effects on the current. (The water flow rate was determined by the average time it took to fill a glass beaker to 200mL. (mL/s) ) The resulting data showed a dramatic increase in flow rate vs. current, proving our hypothesis to be correct. Having a more powerful water flow rate will increase the amount of electricity produced from a hydroelectric generator. This experiment could apply to real life in such a way that the water flow could be recorded from multiple rivers that could potentially be used to generate hydroelectric power to determine which would produce the most energy and therefore be the most efficient use of money, resources, and natural environment. |
| Project Title | Micro Hydroelectric Generator |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0703 |
| Student Name | Katherine Lott
Kaitlin Barwick Mikaylie Chevalier |
| Abstract | Does changing the water flow rate of the water powering a hydroelectric generator affect the amount of electric current produced? We hypothesized that as the water flow rate increased, the produced current would increase proportionally. Before we could begin our experimentations, we had to construct a miniature hydroelectric generator out of moderately easily obtained household items using instructions that we found on the internet (http://www.re-energy.ca/docs/hydroelectric-generator-cp.pdf). Once we had verified the generator did indeed work (after many aggravations), we connected it to the computer (which graphed the alternating electrical current) to monitor the electric output and recorded various increasing water flow rates from a sink faucet and their effects on the current. (The water flow rate was determined by the average time it took to fill a glass beaker to 200mL. (mL/s) ) The resulting data showed a dramatic increase in flow rate vs. current, proving our hypothesis to be correct. Having a more powerful water flow rate will increase the amount of electricity produced from a hydroelectric generator. This experiment could apply to real life in such a way that the water flow could be recorded from multiple rivers that could potentially be used to generate hydroelectric power to determine which would produce the most energy and therefore be the most efficient use of money, resources, and natural environment. |
| Project Title | Towing Made Easy |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0704 |
| Student Name | Spencer Bauman |
| Abstract | Early this year I took a trip to St. George with a friend and his family. When we were packing up to leave, we found it very difficult to align the truck's hitch with the trailer's. I decided I would design a way to make it easier. The product is made of half inch steel, which we cut and welded to create a sort of funnel. It was very successful in the tests we performed. |
| Project Title | Sun, Time, and Cell Phones |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0705 |
| Student Name | Maranda Fisher |
| Abstract | Cell phones are a primary source of communication for most people. I wanted to know how I could make my phone be the most reliable for people using Sprint. I have found that many different things play into what kind of reception my phone gets. Would it get better reception at a certain time of day? This is how I decided what to do my experiment on. How does the time of day and movement of the sun affect Sprint cell phone reception? I tested my experiment at three different times during the day when the sun was in different positions in the sky. My hypothesis was that at noon I would get the best reception. I tested my experiment using both my mom’s cell phone as well as mine at the same location and checked the number of bars on each cell phone. After forty days of testing, I averaged all of the data. The averages were 3, 3.11, and 3.16. Because it was winter and there were weather issues and other factors, these averages were pretty much the same. In the end I concluded that my hypothesis was incorrect and the time of day and movement of the sun have no affect on Sprint’s cell phone reception. The application for my project is that a lot of things play into cell phone reception but the time of day and movement of the sun do not and so it doesn’t matter what time you use your cell phone. |
| Project Title | Structural Safety |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0706 |
| Student Name | Spencer Brown
Nick Christensen |
| Abstract | What we did for our project was we were trying to figure out a better and stronger building design to hold up better to earthquakes and other natural disasters. The pyramids have held up for thousands of years without failing. So we decided to base our inventive building on a pyramid. But we changed the design slightly. We made the design more upright and we added a flat roof to the top. This way it wouldn’t look too changed and different from the traditional 90 degree angled buildings. Our hypothesis was that our design would hold up 50% better than the 90 degree design. When we started our experiment we created a pulley system with weights that we attached to our structure in five pound increments. In this way we could test the deflection of each building. We attached the two designs to a work bench and attached ropes to the tops of them. After our tests were all complete our final results were, our design deflected ¾ in. from its original place, while the 90 degree building deflected 2 in. from its original place. Our hypothesis was correct. Our design held 62.5% better. |
| Project Title | Prototyping and Controlling a Biomimetic Robotic Salamander |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0707 |
| Student Name | Stewart Larson |
| Abstract | The purpose of my project is to create the first working prototype of a biomimetic robotic salamander and to create/program the computer control code to operate it. A robotic salamander capable of amphibious functioning (i.e. walking and swimming) is a significant engineering challenge with many interesting practical applications. The control of such robots is nontrivial, requiring precise algorithms to create the motions required to produce locomotion. The requirements I determined for my project were to create a functioning mechanical prototype that can walk and swim and to design and implement a user-friendly GUI. I created the salamander from polymers, using a design developed by the Mechatronics Research Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Servos actuate a soft polymer body of varying stiffness to replicate the undulating motions of swimming animals with high fidelity. This method has been successfully applied to biomimetic robotic fish and stingrays. This project extends that method to biomimetic robotic salamanders. To imitate a salamander swimming: A single servo rotates back and forth, actuating a 3D-printed mechanism which flexes the polymer body. The repeated flexing of the body produces a propulsive wave on the tail of the salamander thereby propelling the robot forward. Salamanders walk by repetitiously directing force against the ground with one leg while the other leg is lifted. To imitate a salamander walking: A servo rotates a 3D-printed mechanism, producing a torque and lifting a leg off the ground. The servo used in swimming flexes the body, forcing the robot forward. Once the prototype was built and extensively tested using the computer program I designed using Arduino, I coded a front-end GUI, for ease of interfacing with the salamander. I used the Python programming language and was able to create a clean, concise interface. The Python GUI sends commands to the salamander via an Arduino controller board. The wide-ranging capabilities of biomimetic robots make them very desirable in numerous military, industrial, research and consumer products. Practical applications for a robotic salamander are of great import to the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security. Many environmental applications exist, as well as many uses in the energy industry. Additionally, the flexible body is very durable and waterproof. Equipment placed inside the salamander is secure and dry. There are few moving parts thus the salamander will be able to complete extensive exploration before requiring maintenance. |
| Project Title | Which Sea Wall Design will best turn back a Tsunami? |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0708 |
| Student Name | Christopher Marston |
| Abstract | Abstract Many natural disasters are caused by the force of water. Tsunamis in particular devastate coastal shorelines destroying lives and buildings. Designing bigger and taller sea walls are not pretty or cost effective. I wanted to determine if by just changing the sea wall’s shape rather than making it taller, could it improve the wall’s ability to turn back a Tsunami wave. To test this idea, I needed to create a ‘mini’ Tsunami to crash into different sea walls and measure how much water makes it over the sea walls. I built a tank that simulates a Tsunami environment. It included a deep water end, a shallow beach shoreline, and a way to displace a large volume of water to simulate a Tsunami. I designed and built 6 different wall shapes, Flat, Outward Angled, Pointed, Concave, Flat with Ribs, and Outward Angled with Ribs. I ran preliminary tests against the Flat (control) sea wall, to determine the best water depth for the 22? beach/shoreline. Then keeping the water depth, the angle of the beach/shoreline, and the volume of the water displaced constant, I ran ‘mini’ Tsunamis up against each of the 6 sea walls. I repeated each test 3 times. Tests showed both the Concave seawall and the Outward Angled with Ribs seawall turned the wave back into open water. But the Concave Seawall withstood the water force better. Therefore, I concluded that the Concave seawall is the best at turning a Tsunami wave back to open water. |
| Project Title | Electro Magnet Engine |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0709 |
| Student Name | Austin Hill
Erik Heras |
| Abstract | Our hypothesis is: “Using the idea of the combustion engine, we can create an electro-magnet engine.” We are doing this because we want to create a more efficient motor than what we have today. From our last project, we found that by only using permanent magnets the motor would reach equilibrium. For our new project, we will use electromagnets instead to move the magnet piston. This project mimics the combustion engine, by replacing its fundamental parts with magnets. For example, we can replace the gasoline with electromagnets and the piston with a permanent magnet. We also found that we can use Faraday’s Law of induction to produce an induced electromotive force. The law states, “A changing magnetic field induces an electric current.” Using this idea we thought of making an outside cylinder around the magnetic piston cylinder. As the piston in the cylinder is forced up and down by the electromagnet, it will induce an electric current in the electromotive force cylinder. This electricity then can be used to power the electromagnet. Our results showed that by using the electromotive force cylinder it would only act against the piston because it would create an opposite and equal force. We then came up with an idea of a ‘light battery.’ It would capture the light from the sun and direct it into a fiber optic cable. Light is an electromagnetic wave, and so in theory we could use Faraday’s Law to capture the energy in the movement of the electromagnetic waves. |
| Project Title | Electro Magnet Engine |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0709 |
| Student Name | Erik Heras
Austin Hill |
| Abstract | Our hypothesis is: “Using the idea of the combustion engine, we can create an electro-magnet engine.” We are doing this because we want to create a more efficient motor than what we have today. From our last project, we found that by only using permanent magnets the motor would reach equilibrium. For our new project, we will use electromagnets instead to move the magnet piston. This project mimics the combustion engine, by replacing its fundamental parts with magnets. For example, we can replace the gasoline with electromagnets and the piston with a permanent magnet. We also found that we can use Faraday’s Law of induction to produce an induced electromotive force. The law states, “A changing magnetic field induces an electric current.” Using this idea we thought of making an outside cylinder around the magnetic piston cylinder. As the piston in the cylinder is forced up and down by the electromagnet, it will induce an electric current in the electromotive force cylinder. This electricity then can be used to power the electromagnet. Our results showed that by using the electromotive force cylinder it would only act against the piston because it would create an opposite and equal force. We then came up with an idea of a ‘light battery.’ It would capture the light from the sun and direct it into a fiber optic cable. Light is an electromagnetic wave, and so in theory we could use Faraday’s Law to capture the energy in the movement of the electromagnetic waves. |
| Project Title | A Greater Influence on Support: Surface Area or Density? |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0710 |
| Student Name | Kimberly Merrill |
| Abstract | This experiment was designed to learn whether increasing the surface area or density of a cube of gelatin would provide better support. The answer to this question can be applied to building other structures (e.g. buildings, towers, bridges, and desks). People can use the knowledge in their jobs, at home, or at school. To find out which had a greater influence, different surface areas and different density ratios were tested. The data was used to determine which one had a greater effect on how much weight the gelatin could support. Increasing the density of gelatin has a greater influence than increasing the surface area on how much weight the cube of gelatin can support. It was surprising to notice how much weight the gelatin could hold. Other related projects could be to learn more about the structure of gelatin and why it is so strong or to test other materials (using the original question) and see if the results of the experiment stay the same. |
| Project Title | What Angle and Number of Blades is Best to Catch Air on a Windmill |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0711 |
| Student Name | Justin Ngo |
| Abstract | Diving deeper into the 21st century, scientists have been looking towards renewable green energy; with the windmill at the top of the list because of its efficient use and low cost compared to other renewable green energy. The purpose of this project is to decide the number of blades and their pitch best rotates the rotor the fastest. The prediction is that using more blades yield a faster rotor and is the best pitch would be 40 degrees. Using a box fan, photogate, push pin, 1” by 3” cardboard blades, cork and push pin. The test consisted of five trails per test. The test changed by increasing the number of blades, from one blade to six, and changing the pitch of the blades by increments of 10 degrees. The test yielded 3.455 m/s as the fastest rotor speed with six blades on the rotor at a 40 degree pitch. Also the slowest speed was 0.00 m/s with the one bladed rotor and the 0 degree and 90 degree pitch. The conclusion yielded a correct hypothesis. The more blades attached to the rotor meant increased speeds with the exception of blade angles of zero degrees and ninety degrees; as neither moved at all. This experiment can be used to create more efficient windmills. In this project, it shows that the more blades a rotor has, the speed increases thus yielding more energy from generators. This experiment can be used on all horizontal axis windmills to yield more energy. |
| Project Title | Does temperature affect magnet strength? |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0712 |
| Student Name | Riley Parish |
| Abstract | Magnets are incredibly important in the world of science. Life without them would be very different. This is why I wanted to know if different temperatures would affect magnet strength. I conducted my experiment by getting nine ceramic magnets and subjecting each of them to different temperatures and two tests to determine strength. My hypothesis was that magnets would be stronger when cooled because the molecules are stabilized, thus increasing the strength. Upon testing, I found that my hypothesis was correct, and that magnets are stronger when cooled. |
| Project Title | Droid Sphere |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0713 |
| Student Name | Daniel Fletcher
Justin Meiners |
| Abstract | This project was developed to create a robot with a full range of motion, that would be able to navigate in a variety of different environments independently through an AI system. We began by drawing plans for the hardware based on our original design from a previous science fair. Some of the problems with old robots had to be addressed along with designing a new electrical system and adding an AI powered by an Arduino board. New hardware was constructed the robot was tested and revised until we had a robust machine and the AI system was programmed. We found that the unique design and AI system allowed it to preform precise functions such as 90 degree motion or specific distances not possible with manual operation or traditional robots. |
| Project Title | Droid Sphere |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0713 |
| Student Name | Justin Meiners
Daniel Fletcher |
| Abstract | This project was developed to create a robot with a full range of motion, that would be able to navigate in a variety of different environments independently through an AI system. We began by drawing plans for the hardware based on our original design from a previous science fair. Some of the problems with old robots had to be addressed along with designing a new electrical system and adding an AI powered by an Arduino board. New hardware was constructed the robot was tested and revised until we had a robust machine and the AI system was programmed. We found that the unique design and AI system allowed it to preform precise functions such as 90 degree motion or specific distances not possible with manual operation or traditional robots. |
| Project Title | Tracked Surveillance Robot |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0714 |
| Student Name | Zachary Pierce |
| Abstract | My question I wanted to answer wasn’t really an if-then or hypothesis and conclusion type question right off the bat. My question was more of a question to myself of what kind of robot can I build that would satisfy me. So I began thinking of different types of robots and what there purpose would be. I have always been for the Military so I thought of building a robot that would fit their needs. I started thinking of what the robot would need to do, and what I knew the robot would need to do is see. I knew the soldier would have to control it somehow. it would need to move and get around places in all different types of terrain. So that’s where I began with the robot. The process of the robot I had to think of a name for it so I was brainstorming and thought of different names and came up with the idea of just calling the root what it is. I named it the Tracked Surveillance Robot or (T.S.R.) for short. I started looking for different types of bodies or platforms that I could use, but didn’t have the money or resources for a custom body so I used a money box about the size I would need. I was looking over the money box thinking of how I would set it up for the T.S.R., and started with one of the main things which was movement. So I took the servos (motors) and measured it out on the sides and started to use a drill and some spare LEGO parts to set up the tracks. My next task was to make it see so my family bought me a wireless camera I could use to see what the T.S.R. saw. Last thing I had to do which took me hours upon hours to do was the testing and programming of the T.S.R. Conclusion I have made a robot that I can control and it also is autonomous if I wish it to be. At the same time there really can’t be a conclusion because it’s not just a math problem with an exact answer, it’s an adaptable robot that can always have more added to it. That was one of my goals for the T.S.R. was for it to change to the specific circumstance that was at hand. My conclusion would be yes it does what I want it to do today, but what can I make it do tomorrow. |
| Project Title | Air Foil Design |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0715 |
| Student Name | Daniel Spencer |
| Abstract | My project, Airfoil Design, is based on aircraft wings used throughout the world. Basically, through the rapid flow of air over an airfoil, air density above the wing is decreased and the density of air below the wing is increased to enable flight. The same principle is used with even simple parachutes. Most parachutes, though, increase the density inside the envelope to keep it aloft, thus falling more slowly. This brought the question to me, what if I included the factors in a parachute and combined it with an airfoil? Could it to capture more air? Normally, when a wing’s angle of attack is increased, it causes the differential densities around the wing to become unbalanced. This gives it lift, but also increases drag. What I have done to model my experiment was to fold the ends of the wings downward, which collects the air going around the wing. This makes air density higher, giving the airfoil more lift. This experiment could help in improving high-altitude aircraft, like those NASA uses to collect space dust. Such aircraft would use less energy, therefore flying longer, farther, and more efficiently than those with a conventional, straight airfoil. Thank you for reading this description of my project. |
| Project Title | Climbing Bolt Anchor Strenght in Sandstone |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0716 |
| Student Name | Gretta Warner |
| Abstract | Abstract Gretta Warner One of our favorite family activities is rock climbing and rappelling at Zion National Park and in southern Utah. In these activities, safety is always our top priority. We need to know what the safest rope anchor bolt is for anchoring into sandstone. This project compares the breaking strength of several different styles of climbing bolt anchors. Bolts of three main types are compared: mechanical type bolts that use some sort of wedging to hold the bolt in the rock, “glue-in” bolts that use an epoxy glue to cement the bolt into the rock, and bolts that employ a combination of both of these methods. Nine tests were successfully performed, with help from my father. I learned how to drill holes with a hammer drill, control a hydraulic ram, and record force measurements from the electronic scale. Each sample bolt was mounted to a large sandstone rock, and then pulled with a hydraulic ram until it broke. Test forces were measured with special electronic scale called a load cell. Some tests were affected by the sample rock, as it cracked or crumbled before the bolt broke. The hypothesis that the combination glue and screw type bolts would be strongest was proved false, but not by a wide margin. There is a direct relationship between the quality of the bolt and amount of force it will hold before breaking. The bolts that contain a stronger metal and have a larger diameter were proven to be strongest and withstand more force. |
| Project Title | Marshmallow Roast |
| Category | Engineering |
| Table Number | H0717 |
| Student Name | Rachael Munk |
| Abstract | Abstract Have you ever put your food in the microwave, and then when you take it out part of it was stone cold and the other part could burn your tongue? That happens to me a lot, and it made me wonder if microwaves have hot and cold spots. So I developed a procedure to see if microwaves actually did have hot and cold spots. I made a grid, and I put miniature marshmallows on each square. I then put it in the microwave to see what would happen. I tried five different kinds of microwaves and every one had hot spots in them. It didn’t seem to matter if they were high powered or low powered microwaves, both had hot spots. This supported my hypothesis :). This experiment showed me that if you want to cook food evenly you have to rotate it. This explains why so many microwaves have rotating plates now. I think the convection microwaves must be solving that problem, too, because they’re becoming very popular. |
| Project Title | Do PM2.5 Levels Affect School Absenteeism? |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0801 |
| Student Name | Jacek Adams |
| Abstract | My project analyzes school attendance data and air quality (Particulate Matter 2.5 nanometers and under) to see if there is a correlation. I hypothesized that student attendance at school would not be affected when PM2.5 levels rise. This is contrary to some of the studies I have read, but my study supported my hypothesis. I collected the school attendance data from three schools for the 2009-10 school year. I gathered the air quality data the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Air Quality at its website. I consolidated the data into a data log. I created two line graphs, one of student attendance at the three schools, and one of air quality for the school year. I then ran correlation analysis and regression analysis on my log book. I also created lag data and ran the same analysis on that data. From these analysis, I concluded that my hypothesis was correct. Air quality did not affect student attendance in a statistically significant way based on my data sets. However, my data is not generalizable for two reasons. One, my data is concentrated. I have three schools, but they are in the same general area. Two, the tested air had relatively low levels of PM2.5. Perhaps with higher levels of PM2.5, the results would be different. |
| Project Title | Is Our Soil Safe? Daphnia Help Us Decide |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0802 |
| Student Name | Calee Gardner |
| Abstract | Is Our Soil Safe? Daphnia Helps Us Decide Experiment Purpose: Many groups deposit waste (biological, petroleum based, nerve gas, and even nuclear) into Utah. This causes many unseen problems with the land and water in Utah. I wanted to find out if water run-off in our local ecosystem was toxic using Daphnia Magna. Question: Considering five soil samples from Utah Lake, Geneva Steel, power plant, oil spill sight and Timpanogos mountains; which would be the most toxic? I believed The Chevron Oil Spill would be the most Toxic. Procedure: I ordered Daphnia and collected soil from each test sight. A small nylon bag of soil was placed in 5 8oz labeled jars with 65 visible Daphnia. The 6th jar had no soil. For 10 consecutive days I measured the water ph, the heart rate of Daphnia in each jar, counted the number of Daphnia and rated the water clarity. Results: At the end of testing: The control had: 11 adults (A), 43 juveniles (J), Mountain:11 (A) 35 (J), power plant 12 (A) 2 (J), Utah Lake: 7 (A) 6 (J), oil spill: 22 (A) 27 (J, and Geneva Steel: 4 (A). All visible Daphnia died after 1 day in the Geneva Steel jar. 4 juveniles lived and grew. Conclusion: My hypothesis was proved wrong. In conclusion, the oil spill was the least toxic, and Geneva Steel the most toxic. I would be very interested to continue my research into understanding why the Geneva Steel was toxic. |
| Project Title | Measuring the Differences of pH and Luminous Emmitance of Pyrocystic Lunula |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0803 |
| Student Name | Chance Clinger
Thomas Clay |
| Abstract | Phosphorescence of the sea is an occurrence that takes place during the night when the water and sand near the shore glow with a luminous blue light. Marine dinoflagellates, unicellular algae, are the cause of this phenomenon. When put under mechanical stress, these bioluminescent organisms glow because of a reaction that takes place inside them. It is called the luciferin-luciferase reaction. A molecule called luciferin is broken by the enzyme luciferase. It then turns into andenylluciferin which combines with oxygen to make oxyferin at its excited state. Oxyferin turns to its grounded state and light is given off. Little is known why the algae evolved this way. We decided to research and perform experiments on these algae to figure out the advantage of its glowing capability. In addition, we are aware that the ocean is becoming more acidic. We also want to find out if the acidity of the ocean is a strong influence on the algae, because if it is true that these algae will stop glowing at a certain pH, they would be very difficult to find and would impede research if the ocean continues to become more acidic. We will be working with the dinoflagellate Pyrocystis lunula (P. lunula). We performed an experiment making six different pH environments of algae and then measuring the luminous emittance of each environment. We found out that the emittance increases when the pH is decreased to about 5.5 pH, but then it quickly decreases when pH is lower than 4.5-5.5. |
| Project Title | MEASURING THE DIFFERENCES OF PH AND LUMINOUS EMITTANCE OF PYROCYSTIS LUNULA |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0803 |
| Student Name | Thomas Clay
Chance Clinger |
| Abstract | I love learning about biology and how it affects other things. This is why I chose to do a project on bioluminescence. We wanted to find out if or how changes in ph changed the amount of light that the algae gave off. This is important because as acid rain changes the ph of the ocean the algae could die off because they can’t light up as brightly. We thought that the more acidic the environment was the less they would light up. We got our algae (pyrocystis lunula) from Utex part of the University of Texas. They came in separate vials of algae and environment. Then we maintained the proper circadian rhythm (12 hour light/dark cycle) and kept them at a constant temperature. To test we changed the ph of the environment, leaving one completely alone for a control, and tested the amount of light that was given off using a lux meter. The data was interesting in many ways. The algae gave off light from .01 to .08 lux which is small. The lux amount for 100 watt light bulb is 1069 lux. They would glow for about a second after the mechanical stress was applied. We found that luminescence was best when the algae had a ph of about 6.25. This was not what we were expecting to find because it is more acidic then the control which had a ph of 7.65. This most likely means that they won’t be adversely affected by acid rain. |
| Project Title | Soil Erosion |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0804 |
| Student Name | Melissa Hammond |
| Abstract | Does adding different soil amendments affect the rate of erosion? I predict that the more the soil is covered the less amount of soil will run off. I tested the amount of water that absorbed into the soil and the amount that ran off. I did this by constructing a box and elevated it so that water could run down the slope. At the bottom there was a cut into the box to collect the water and soil that ran off. I conducted five ¼ inch rain storms for each test. I used rocks, wood chips, contour plowing, shredded paper, and leaves. As the different amendments were added to the soil, I recorded the difference in the amount of soil that ran over changed after each test. As the soil absorbed water, there was less run off. But, when the soil reached saturation point, erosion increased resulting in more soil loss. My results show that amendments helped slow the water down so that the water would sink into the soil. In every test, some soil ran into the jar. There is no way to keep all the soil in the box. There is always going to be soil run off. Contour plowing produced the poorest results because as the ridges in the soil leveled out and rain increased, it resulted in major soil loss. My Hypothesis was correct. I found that when amendments are added to soil there is less erosion that occurs. |
| Project Title | Got Fire and Mud? Super Diapers to the Rescue! |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0805 |
| Student Name | Ashlyn Hatch |
| Abstract | This past summer Herriman Utah had a fire, this fire left many hillsides devoid of vegetation. This was a problem because the vegetation helps support the hillside, and reduces top erosion and mudslide slump. I wanted to see if Polymers, the ingredient used in diapers, would be able to stabilize a hill after a lot of rainfall, and eliminate top erosion and mudslide slump. I thought that if I placed polymers in varied holes on the slope then I would receive the best results. For my experiment I simulated rainfall on a slope. I had the slope divided into three sections; one section was my control, which contained no polymers. The second section contained three trenches with polymers inside, and the third section contained six holes with polymers inside. Through my experiment I found that indeed the varied holes worked the best. They were able to prevent the most top erosion and debris slump. This experiment proves that polymers are able to stabilize hillsides and reduce the risk of mudslides and erosion. |
| Project Title | Ocean Acidification |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0806 |
| Student Name | Chandler Holgate |
| Abstract | The world’s oceans are becoming more acidic, as a result of rising Carbon Dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The oceans are absorbing Carbon Dioxide and causing the ocean water to become more acidic. According to research led by Christopher Sabine of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the ocean has taken up approximately 120 billion metric tons of CO2 generated by human activities since 1800. The IOC reports that some 20-25 million tons of CO2 are being added to the oceans each day. My purpose of choosing a science fair project based on this problem is to find out what will happen to the organisms that live in the ocean if the problem continues. In the ocean the pH level of the water is 8.1. Salt water organisms need a pH level of at least 8.1 to survive and to provide them with the necessary nutrients to keep them healthy. The problem we face now with the rising Carbon Dioxide levels in the oceans is that it is causing the ocean to become more acidic. It is predicted that in 2100 the oceans pH level will lower to 7.5. So to test what will happen to organisms living in the ocean I got six jars and filled them with salt water. Jars one through three had regular ocean water in them. In jars four through six I filled them with ocean water and added white vinegar to make them have a pH of 7.5. I crushed seashells up and I set them into six groups, making sure that each group weighed exactly one ounce. I put them into the jars and waited for one month, then took the seashells out and weighed them. The seashells in jars one through three had decreased in weight to 0.89 ounces, 0.92 ounces, and 0.91 ounces. The seashells in jars four through six had decreased in weight to 0.80 ounces, 0.81 ounces, and 0.81 ounces. Thus proving the theory that the acidification of the oceans will create a very large problem for us, and the organisms in the oceans. Some of the problems that pose a threat towards civilization and the organisms in the water are; Decrease in seafood quantities, metal hulls of boats will oxidize faster, and many other problems will occur if this rising problem isn’t put to a halt. So in conclusion a lower pH level will cause organisms to decay faster, and in the process cause many problems for us and the organisms. |
| Project Title | Protect and Preserve |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0807 |
| Student Name | Megan White |
| Abstract | Can the devastating environmental damages caused by oil spills be minimized by containing the spill and removing the oil? This research project’s hypothesis predicts that a non-permeable barrier used to contain an oil spill and utilized in conjunction with a “vacuum” method to remove the contained oil would most successfully protect the environment from further ecological damage after an offshore oil spill. Oval shaped platters were used to replicate the ocean environment. The beach was created by pouring sand at one end of the platter, leaving two thirds of the platter available to hold the blue dyed water representing the ocean. Three methods of containment and extraction were tested. A test comprised of sand, water, and oil was used as the control. There were no containment or extraction efforts used in the control. Each subsequent trial utilized 3 extraction methods: 1) vacuum 2) absorption and 3) non toxic dispersant. Each trial employed 3 containment methods: 1) non-permeable foil 2) semi-permeable foam and 3) a plastic straw floating boom. Each test was examined to gauge effectiveness and results were noted in a journal. The straw barrier and vacuum extraction test proved the most successful. Ironically the straw barrier is made from plastic – an oil product. The experiment validated my concerns regarding the complications related to oil spill cleanup. Oil spills contaminate our oceans, lakes and streams. Vegetation is destroyed and takes years to recover. Even Utah is not exempt from oil disasters, as The Red Butte Creek oil spill attests. |
| Project Title | Stay Out of My Stream! |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0808 |
| Student Name | Micala Downs
Mason Downs |
| Abstract | The Jordan River appears to be a dirty river, due to its brown appearance. It has often come up as a controversial debate as to what should be done with it and how it should be managed. Recently there was a major highway that was built in our area that crosses the Jordan River. We are trying to determine if the construction of the new road has had a negative impact on the environmental quality of the Jordan River. In order to test this, we collected samples from the stream and tested the temperature, turbidity, pH, iron, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels. Additionally, we tested the fertility, light, moisture, and pH levels of the soil on the riverbank. For two months we gathered water from eight different spots along the river and ran the tests indicated above. Each time we collected data, we recorded our results so that we could analyze the data. Some of the collection areas were above the Pioneer Crossing highway and others were below it, so we would get a clear reading as to whether or not the roadway was truly the issue affecting the quality of the stream. Then we compared our results to the results found from an earlier experiment conducted during the same time of year in 2009. We found that the Jordan River has mostly stayed the same except for a major decrease in dissolved oxygen levels, a decrease in turbidity, and a major increase in phosphate levels. |
| Project Title | Stay Out of My Stream! |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0808 |
| Student Name | Mason Downs
Micala Downs |
| Abstract | The Jordan River appears to be a dirty river, due to its brown appearance. It has often come up as a controversial debate as to what should be done with it and how it should be managed. Recently there was a major highway that was built in our area that crosses the Jordan River. We are trying to determine if the construction of the new road has had a negative impact on the environmental quality of the Jordan River. In order to test this, we collected samples from the stream and tested the temperature, turbidity, pH, iron, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite levels. Additionally, we tested the fertility, light, moisture, and pH levels of the soil on the riverbank. For two months we gathered water from eight different spots along the river and ran the tests indicated above. Each time we collected data, we recorded our results so that we could analyze the data. Some of the collection areas were above the Pioneer Crossing highway and others were below it, so we would get a clear reading as to whether or not the roadway was truly the issue affecting the quality of the stream. Then we compared our results to the results found from an earlier experiment conducted during the same time of year in 2009. We found that the Jordan River has mostly stayed the same except for a major decrease in dissolved oxygen levels, a decrease in turbidity, and a major increase in phosphate levels. |
| Project Title | do concrete sealants protect from spalling |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0809 |
| Student Name | jeromy jarman |
| Abstract | I mixed concrete and placed them in different containers and let cure for manufacturing recommendations. Correct sealants were added to each of the samples.500ML. of water where placed into each of the sample except the control. My hypothesis was that a wax based sealer would protect the concrete more than an acrylic based sealer. The sealants where placed outside to the natural freeze thaw cycle. I learned that the surface sealer protected the concrete from the most damage, but the edges and corners where lifting. My decision in which sealer was the best my recommendation would be that a wax based penetrating sealer would protect it the most in the long term affect. |
| Project Title | A New Novel Antibacterial Hand Wash For The Generation of Nitric Oxide Gas When Applied to the Skin |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0810 |
| Student Name | Christian Minton |
| Abstract | There has been a proliferation of household products including soap containing antibacterial agents. However, these products have lead to an increase in bacteria with cross resistance to antibiotics. This can result in serious untreatable infections in people. Previously acidified nitrite has shown antimicrobial activity against a number of skin organisms in the test tube and in wound healing but has never had documented use on normal skin to reduce bacterial colonization. Working with GeNOsys, a nitric oxide generator company, I helped develop an acidified nitrite gel, Noxidyne, that creates gNO on the skin. Seventy-nine volunteers, 158 sites using both hands, after informed consent, were cultured on the front and back of each hand. Twenty-eight washed their hands with Noxidyne, 25 washed with Avagard™D (a hospital-based hand sanitizer) and 26 washed with Dial™ Complete Foaming Hand Wash. Dial volunteers rinsed and dried. All volunteers were recultured. Pre and post- cultures were plated on blood agar petri dishes using the 3 corner dilation method and incubated at 37° for 48 hours. Using predetermined semiquantitative grading scales of bacterial zone growth, bacterial growth was estimated. All biological materials were destroyed at the UVRMC Hazardous Waste Disposal Dump. My results showed a relative risk reduction of 74.7% for Avagard™D, 62.4% for Noxidyne, and 33.3% for Dial™. Because of different pre-scores, CHI squared analysis showed no difference in Noxidyne to Avagard™ but statistical significance over Dial™. Noxidyne was shown to be as effectual as Avagard™D and more effective than Dial™ Complete Foaming Hand Wash. |
| Project Title | Caytee Witt |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0811 |
| Student Name | Caytee Witt
Parker Nielson Toxicity study of sodium sulfate on organisms found the Great Salt Lake |
| Abstract | The Jordan Water District announced that Kennecott will release products of reverse osmosis into the Great Salt Lake. This experiment was conducted to see if the environmental impact of selenium (one of the products of reverse osmosis) on the Great Salt Lake would have ,or could eventually lead up to, similar effects as the Kesterson wildlife reserve in California. There the entire migratory bird population was decimated by selenium (keep in mind the Great Salt Lake is a major nesting ground for migratory birds). We conducted experiments to see if there would be any ecological effects on Artemia franciscana and “Halorubrum Salsolis” with minor studies done on Water Boatman sp and Algae sp. We subjected all species to sodium sulfate (no viable source of selenium could be located and Sodium Sulphate is the most similar) in parts per million. Doing qualitative experiments on A. franciscana, algae sp, and Water Boatman sp we found no detrimental effects on first generation tests but reproduction seems to slow down on future generations. Doing quantitative experiments on “H. Salsolis” we found there are few adverse effects until 1200 PPM in which case population decreases. More studies need to be done particularly with actual selenium as sodium sulphate does not duplicate all effects of Se.. Further studies are planned to take place in tandem with Westminster college. |
| Project Title | Toxicity study on organisms from the Great Salt Lake |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0811 |
| Student Name | Parker Nielson
Caytee Witt |
| Abstract | The Jordan Water District announced that Kennecott will release products of reverse osmosis into the Great Salt Lake. This experiment was conducted to see if the environmental impact of selenium (one of the products of reverse osmosis) on the Great Salt Lake would have ,or could eventually lead to, similar effects as the Kesterson wildlife reserve in California. There the migratory bird population was decimated by selenium (keep in mind the Great Salt Lake is a major nesting ground for migratory birds). We conducted experiments to see if there would be any ecological effects on Artemia franciscana and “Halorubrum Salsolis” with minor studies done on Water Boatman sp and Algae sp. We subjected all species to sodium sulfate (no viable source of selenium could be located and Sodium Sulphate is the most similar) in parts per million. Doing qualitative experiments on A. franciscana, algae sp, and Water Boatman sp we found no detrimental effects on first generation tests but reproduction seems to slow down on future generations. Doing quantitative experiments on “H. Salsolis” we found there are few adverse effects until 1200 PPM in which case population decreases. More studies need to be done particularly with actual selenium as sodium sulphate does not duplicate all effects of Se.. Further studies are planned to take place in tandem with Westminster college. |
| Project Title | The Power of Wind |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0812 |
| Student Name | CalDon Preece |
| Abstract | Wind power is one of the many viable options for cheaper, cleaner and renewable energy. Windmills are popping up all over in Utah. The question arises, at what wind speed will produce the most energy? This study worked with a small store bought windmill. The windmill was assembled to support a voltmeter. The voltmeter was filmed using a digital camera. The the film was reviewed, and the data was put into a chart. The data was then averaged out for each speed. The project was designed to assess which speed would create the most energy. A car was used to drive at the specified miles per hour for the test. Natural wind (wind other than that created by the car moving past the air particles) proved to be an insignificant factor during the trials. The data obtained shows an obvious correlation between wind speed and energy output. The correlation is represented by ?=0.60143x – 6.55753 (x= wind speed, y= energy output). |
| Project Title | The Power of the Blade |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0813 |
| Student Name | Dallin Preece |
| Abstract | Coal and nuclear power produce the majority of electricity, but they can be dangerous and waste products destroy the environment. Why risk mishaps when energy can be captured from renewable sources such as wind energy? It is safe, renewable, and environmental friendly. At the end of last year, global capacity was more than 70,000 megawatts. In the energy-hungry United States, a single megawatt is enough electricity to power 250 homes. The biggest wind turbines generate enough electricity to supply 600 U.S. homes. Smaller turbines erected in a backyard can produce enough electricity for a single home or small business since they have a 60% production rate. I chose this project because I wanted to find materials and blade shapes that would maximize energy output from wind turbines into homes and small businesses. My hypothesis is; if the curvy blade and the aluminum material are used then the voltage produced will be maximized. During my experiment, I shut off all fans, closed all windows, and turned off our heater system. My procedure included the smallest details, like how far the turbine was from the experimental fan. My hypothesis was correct. I found that the aerodynamic curvy aluminum blade produced a high of 1.20 volts. My conclusion is when you have a blade made out of material that has an aerodynamic shape and size; it allows the blades to spin faster, therefore creating more energy. As technology improves blade shape and material, wind turbine production rate increases for houses and small businesses. |
| Project Title | Filtering Turbidity |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0814 |
| Student Name | Joshua Ward
Quinn Everett |
| Abstract | Science Fair Project Abstract Filtering Turbidity How different filtering materials effect the turbidity of water from landfills? Our project combines science with and concern for environmental health and water quality – specifically turbidity. The project examines the effects of common filtering material on the reduction of turbidity in water that percolates through a landfill. My hypotheses were: • The more filter material, the lower the turbidity. • Sand will reduce turbidity more than gravel. • The reduction in turbidity will be directly proportional to the amount of filter material used. We created mock landfills using equal portions of organic waste, variable amounts of gravel and sand, and geotextile fabric. We ran tap water through the mock landfills capturing the water in containers. The water was then tested for turbidity. Our first hypothesis was correct; the reduction in turbidity increased with each increase in the amount of filter material. Contrary to our second hypothesis, our test results showed a larger reduction in turbidity with the use of gravel rather than with sand. Consistent with our last hypothesis, our data showed a reduction in turbidity directly proportional to the amount of sand. However, since both test using gravel used the same amount we were not able to verify the same result for gravel as for sand. We will be conducting further tests with varying amounts of gravel. |
| Project Title | Filtering Turbidity |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0814 |
| Student Name | Quinn Everett
Joshua Ward |
| Abstract | Science Fair Project Abstract Filtering Turbidity How different filtering materials effect the turbidity of water from landfills? Our project combines science with and concern for environmental health and water quality – specifically turbidity. The project examines the effects of common filtering material on the reduction of turbidity in water that percolates through a landfill. My hypotheses were: • The more filter material, the lower the turbidity. • Sand will reduce turbidity more than gravel. • The reduction in turbidity will be directly proportional to the amount of filter material used. We created mock landfills using equal portions of organic waste, variable amounts of gravel and sand, and geotextile fabric. We ran tap water through the mock landfills capturing the water in containers. The water was then tested for turbidity. Our first hypothesis was correct; the reduction in turbidity increased with each increase in the amount of filter material. Contrary to our second hypothesis, our test results showed a larger reduction in turbidity with the use of gravel rather than with sand. Consistent with our last hypothesis, our data showed a reduction in turbidity directly proportional to the amount of sand. However, since both test using gravel used the same amount we were not able to verify the same result for gravel as for sand. We will be conducting further tests with varying amounts of gravel. |
| Project Title | Guzzlers |
| Category | Environmental Science |
| Table Number | H0815 |
| Student Name | Heather Shipp |
| Abstract | Question: When do elk use the guzzler the most? Hypothesis: I think elk will visit the guzzler most often during dawn and dusk. Method: First, I looked at a picture taken by a motion-sensing camera overlooking a guzzler. Then, I record the date, time, temperature, type of species, and number of animals from the photo onto an excel graph. I then repeat this process for several hundred photos. Using the data copied onto an excel graph, I look for a correlation between the different variables. Conclusion: After analyzing my data, I have found that elk very rarely, if at all, use the guzzler in the middle of the day. Instead, cows come usually between midnight and nine o’clock in the morning. In my data the most females came during 2-3 o’clock and 7-8 o’clock in the morning. The most bucks came during 9-10 at night (21-22 o’clock military time). The premature males were more spread throughout the day than the cows and bucks; most pictures with premature males took place from 6-7 o’clock. There were not many pictures with calves; however, the most seen was from 2-3 and 8-9 in the morning; all of the pictures, except for one, that included calves also had cows. The majority of elk came during the night while it was still dark. I plan on continuing my research, I hope to compare photos of this guzzler throughout several months and compare the data to other guzzlers in Utah. Bibliography http://www.utahchukars.org/?page=21 http://www.deseretnews.com/article/457537/GUZZLER-SYSTEMS-HELP-WATER-DESERT-WILDLIFE.html http://www.gowildlife.org/birdseye.htm http://www.cabnr.unr.edu/NAES/Research_Details.aspx?GrantID=603 http://www.grants-gov.net/grants_gov_display.php?program=L10AS00205 |
| Project Title | Equations of Triangles |
| Category | Mathematics |
| Table Number | H0901 |
| Student Name | Alex Beeston |
| Abstract | Is there a relationship among the parts of a triangle? In my research, I found that there is a relationship, which lead me to my hypothesis: “Because only certain combinations of side lengths and angle measures can create a triangle, there must be an equation(s) that relates the parts of a triangle to each other”. After trying to find that equation(s), I realized the easiest way to do so was to find what each part of the triangle equaled in terms of some, or all of the other parts. I started by labeling each side of a triangle a, b, c¸ and each angle x, y, z. I then drew in altitudes to create two right triangles. Because I had two right triangles, I was able to use the Pythagorean Theorem and trigonometric ratios. After applying both the Pythagorean Theorem and the ratios, I solved for variables using simple algebra, and then plugged in several variables into master equations that gave me my final equations. My data is a list of the twelve equations I invented, six for acute & right triangles, and six for obtuse triangles. Each equation for the sides involves two radicals, and each equation for the angles uses the inverse sine ratio, whose numerator includes the sine ratio. These equations prove my hypothesis; they describe the relationship among the parts of any triangle. These equations can be used to solve a triangle when given three pieces of information, one of which must be a side length. |
| Project Title | Parabolic Decent: Mapping the Parabola to Determine Initial Velocity |
| Category | Mathematics |
| Table Number | H0902 |
| Student Name | Amber Hutchinson |
| Abstract | Have you ever gone target shooting or hunting, and aimed right at the bull's eye, but missed? My question was "Is it possible to accurately calculate the initial velocity of a projectile by measuring how far it drops at a known distance?" A projectile will follow a parabolic path, but you must know its initial velocity to determine the travel distance. Without the use of a chronometer, could I determine the initial bullet velocity, or vice versa? I designed an experiment that used several sets of bullets filled with different amounts of powder. I shot the bullet(s) horizontally level through a chronograph (to check the accuracy of the equations) at the target positioned a known distance away. I then measured how far the bullet(s) dropped in flight as it hit the target, and then I plugged that measurement into mathematical equation below. Velocity initial x=(Distance to target)÷?(2*9.8*(Measured Drop))/9.8 (also known as Velocity=Distance/Time) Then I compared my accuracy with the chronograph reading(s). I also did a set of trials without the chronograph at an indoor range working backwards to find the velocity by only knowing the drop of the bullet. After finishing my experiment, I came to the conclusion that the bullets were very close to accurate, but the data was slightly off because the equation I used neglected friction, weather, and air resistance. |
| Project Title | What OTC Medication Affects Daphnia Heart Rate the Most? |
| Category | Mathematics |
| Table Number | H0903 |
| Student Name | Yolancee Nguyen |
| Abstract | Daphnia are very overlooked creatures (even though they’re squirmy and have bulging babies on their backs); because of this we’re harming their environment more than we think. Daphnia play a prestigious role in our food chains; they’re the key to finding out water issues. It would be extremely helpful to take care of Daphnia, and use them to not only to see the harmful pollutants in water, but also study how medication might affect humans. This project looks at how over-the-counter medications affect Daphnia in their habitat if it were flushed out into their environment. I used Jet-Alert, Ibuprofen, Tylenol Extra Strength, and Motrin PM. I hypothesized that the Jet-Alert would affect the heart rate the most because it contained 200mg of pure caffeine. I was matching 500mg, so I used two and a half of Jet-Alert, Ibuprofen, and Motrin PM. Tylenol Extra Strength already had 500mg of its’ medicine. They all were crushed into fine powder, and were dissolved into one gallon of spring water. One hundred milliliters of each solution was then made into a habitat for Daphnia. They sat overnight and were checked the next day. This experiment showed that the Jet-Alert did have the most effect. Having pure caffeine probably jolted the Daphnis’ hearts, while as the other medication slowed it down. In conclusion, flushing any medication through any water pathways are harmful, but flushing caffeine would be a death sentence to Daphnia and other animals; land or water. |
| Project Title | Wearing Out on Articular Cartilage |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1001 |
| Student Name | Khanh Cao |
| Abstract | With every movement, the body often uses the joints to do everyday actions, such as walking, the joints are slowly getting worn out, this happens even faster when the person often does harsh repetitive actions using the joint movement. Just how much can the articular cartilage on the joint take before it wears out to the point that movement will start to cause actual bone on bone contact? To find out, the experiment was to use varying degrees of sandpaper grit to sand down the cartilage until bone contact. Actual human bones weren’t used to test this but animal bones are similar to human bones and were used instead. The different degrees of sandpaper showed how different degrees of roughness toward the joints can affect it. The results of the experiment seem obvious but are they? |
| Project Title | How Does Heat Affect Your Do? |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1002 |
| Student Name | Rebekah Stewart
Emily Bell Caitlyn Stainbrook |
| Abstract | The purpose of doing this project was to investigate and discover the effects of heat damage on hair. The reason behind researching this topic was to approach the rising use of consistent application of heat instruments to hair. The interest concerning this experiment is that many people are becoming more familiar with heat tools, but unbeknownst to the common knowledge, heat can severely affect hair when applied frequently with intense heat. The hypothesis stated was that the more heat strokes applied to hair, the weaker the hair would become. The procedures developed before the experiment included, gathering together wool samples and straightening them with various applications of heat. Following these procedures, it was determined that the hypothesis was correct. The breakage point decreased as the number of heat strokes increased. Excluding eighty strokes where the data was significantly higher and didn’t fall in sync with the other tested data. It is unknown why eighty strokes differed from the rest of the data. In conclusion, it was discovered that by applying extensive heat frequently to hair it will damage the hair structure and overall health of the hair. |
| Project Title | How Does Heat Affect Your Do? |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1002 |
| Student Name | Caitlyn Stainbrook
Emily Bell Rebekah Stewart |
| Abstract | The purpose of doing this project was to investigate and discover the effects of heat damage on hair. The reason behind researching this topic was to approach the rising use of consistent application of heat instruments to hair. The interest concerning this experiment is that many people are becoming more familiar with heat tools, but unbeknownst to the common knowledge, heat can severely affect hair when applied frequently with intense heat. The hypothesis stated was that the more heat strokes applied to hair, the weaker the hair would become. The procedures developed before the experiment included, gathering together wool samples and straightening them with various applications of heat. Following these procedures, it was determined that the hypothesis was correct. The breakage point decreased as the number of heat strokes increased. Excluding eighty strokes where the data was significantly higher and didn’t fall in sync with the other tested data. It is unknown why eighty strokes differed from the rest of the data. In conclusion, it was discovered that by applying extensive heat frequently to hair it will damage the hair structure and overall health of the hair. |
| Project Title | How Does Heat Affect Your Do? |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1002 |
| Student Name | Emily Bell
Caitlyn Stainbrook Rebekah Stewart |
| Abstract | The purpose of doing this project was to investigate and discover the effects of heat damage on hair. The reason behind researching this topic was to approach the rising use of consistent application of heat instruments to hair. The interest concerning this experiment is that many people are becoming more familiar with heat tools, but unbeknownst to the common knowledge, heat can severely affect hair when applied frequently with intense heat. The hypothesis stated was that the more heat strokes applied to hair, the weaker the hair would become. The procedures developed before the experiment included, gathering together wool samples and straightening them with various applications of heat. Following these procedures, it was determined that the hypothesis was correct. The breakage point decreased as the number of heat strokes increased. Excluding eighty strokes where the data was significantly higher and didn’t fall in sync with the other tested data. It is unknown why eighty strokes differed from the rest of the data. In conclusion, it was discovered that by applying extensive heat frequently to hair it will damage the hair structure and overall health of the hair. |
| Project Title | How Do Dirty Hands Affect Your Blood Sugar Test Results? |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1003 |
| Student Name | Erika Green |
| Abstract | Diabetics need to test daily and the amount of insulin they take largely relies on the blood glucose number, requiring the need for the number to be accurate. Does having different substances on your hands affect blood glucose test results? The first thing done in this experiment was testing the blood glucose normally without any contaminants on fingers, giving the control number. After getting the control number, a substance was applied to the finger and the blood sugar was tested. Then, the numbers were compared to the control number. These steps were repeated with various contaminants. The scented lotion, unscented lotion, and hand sanitizer had no or very little affect on the blood glucose number. The orange juice had a very drastic effect on the blood glucose level. Whenever the blood glucose was tested with the orange juice, the display on the meter said “high”, which means the level is over six hundred. So when fingers are contaminated with something that has sugar in it, the number on the blood glucose meter will be affected. From this experiment, we learn what sorts of things will make blood glucose numbers inaccurate. Various types of juice will definitely make their reading be wrong, along with things with sugar in them. Therefore, if a diabetic has been handling sugary things, before testing they should wash their hands. This action will provide a correct result that will allow them to take the right amount of insulin. |
| Project Title | Better Body |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1004 |
| Student Name | Ammon Haymond
Adam Bushman Guillermo Bustamante |
| Abstract | For our project, we studied exercise over a two month period of time. We researched three different types of exercises, finding out their advantages and disadvantages. Our hypothesis was that P90X, combined with running, would provide the best results. We each took one exercise (Ammon: P90X, Guillermo: Calisthenics, and Adam: the weighted workout) and exercised everyday for two months. We also ran 2.5 miles every other day for the same amount of time. We recorded our exercises and run in our own personal exercise journals. To test our results and see our progress, we traveled to BYU’s Y-Be-Fit program to use their Bod Pod which tested body fat percentage, fat free percentage, etc., and did jumping jacks for one minute. We also counted our pulse beats per minute. We did both of these tests at the beginning and end of our project. Our results showed that a weighted workout combined with running will give you the best results for exercise heart rate and muscle gain, compared with P90X and Calisthenics, both combined with running. |
| Project Title | Better Body |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1004 |
| Student Name | Adam Bushman
Ammon Haymond Guillermo Bustamante |
| Abstract | For our project, we studied exercise over a two month period of time. We researched three different types of exercises, finding out their advantages and disadvantages. Our hypothesis was that P90X, combined with running, would provide the best results. We each took one exercise (Ammon: P90X, Guillermo: Calisthenics, and Adam: the weighted workout) and exercised everyday for two months. We also ran 2.5 miles every other day for the same amount of time. We recorded our exercises and run in our own personal exercise journals. To test our results and see our progress, we traveled to BYU’s Y-Be-Fit program to use their Bod Pod which tested body fat percentage, fat free percentage, etc., and did jumping jacks for one minute. We also counted our pulse beats per minute. We did both of these tests at the beginning and end of our project. Our results showed that a weighted workout combined with running will give you the best results for exercise heart rate and muscle gain, compared with P90X and Calisthenics, both combined with running. |
| Project Title | Better Body |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1004 |
| Student Name | Guillermo Bustamante
Ammon Haymond Adam Bushman |
| Abstract | For our project, we studied exercise over a two month period of time. We researched three different types of exercises, finding out their advantages and disadvantages. Our hypothesis was that P90X, combined with running, would provide the best results. We each took one exercise (Ammon: P90X, Guillermo: Calisthenics, and Adam: the weighted workout) and exercised everyday for two months. We also ran 2.5 miles every other day for the same amount of time. We recorded our exercises and run in our own personal exercise journals. To test our results and see our progress, we traveled to BYU’s Y-Be-Fit program to use their Bod Pod which tested body fat percentage, fat free percentage, etc., and did jumping jacks for one minute. We also counted our pulse beats per minute. We did both of these tests at the beginning and end of our project. Our results showed that a weighted workout combined with running will give you the best results for exercise heart rate and muscle gain, compared with P90X and Calisthenics, both combined with running. |
| Project Title | Anchors Away: a pullout study of metallic vs. biodegradable suture anchors |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1005 |
| Student Name | Connor Hines |
| Abstract | In recent years, orthopedic surgeons have been transitioning from the traditional metallic construction of suture anchors to one of several modern biodegradable polymers. This project was intended to determine the effects of construction material on the maximum pullout strength of a suture anchor. My initial topic of study was the effect of construction material on the tensile strength of a suture anchor, but because of access to resources, I transitioned to this topic of study. I used the test and comparison method to gather data and reach my conclusion. The results of my testing showed a great difference in the maximum pullout strength of the test implants, which were constructed of PLLA/PGA (poly-L-lactic acid, Polyglycolic acid copolymer), PLLA/PLGA (poly-L-lactic acid, poly lactic-co-glycolic acid copolymer), and Titanium. In conclusion, I have found a direct correlation between the material used to manufacture an orthopedic suture anchor and that anchor’s pullout strength as demonstrated by multiple tests conducted using an Instron model 1331 testing machine. |
| Project Title | The Blind Side |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1006 |
| Student Name | Kirsten Marquis |
| Abstract | Ever since I was in second grade I have worn glasses. Most kids do not enjoy going to the eye doctor, but I have always looked forward to it! Everything the eye doctor does fascinates me and I have decided that I want to be an optometrist. For the science fair I decided to do something about eyes; after researching I discovered that eyes have a blind spot. This was very interesting to me and I wondered if the blind spot varies from person to person. I developed a question stating: does age affect the size of the human blind spot? My hypothesis stated that the size would decrease as the body grew. I figured this was logical because the eye grows along with the body, but the optic nerve (the nerve that creates the blind spot) does not necessarily grow as fast. I then found several volunteers ranging from age 6 to age 80 and measured their blind spot with a contraption I made out of a tripod and a meter stick. I took the average size of each age group and after weeks of gathering data I discovered that the size of the blind spot does decrease with age until adulthood. It then stays about the same size for approximately 20 years, and then after about age 50 the blind spot gets large again. I still have a few questions, and doing this project made me even more excited to pursue my dream to become an optometrist. |
| Project Title | Survival Blankets: Not Your Grandmother's Quilt |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1007 |
| Student Name | Taylor Murdock |
| Abstract | Survival Blankets: Not Your Grandmother's Quilt Taylor Murdock Wasatch High School Each year thousands of adventurers are forced to deal with hypothermia, a serious threat to life. Heat retention is key in preventing hypothermia. With that knowledge, I tested lightweight survival blankets for heat retention properties, hoping to help people wisely choose their emergency essentials. I hypothesized that the expensive “thermal bivvy” would preserve the most heat. Over 15 different nights, and using six 5-gallon equally heated water jugs, I tested 5 different survival blankets. Each evening the jugs were wrapped in their blankets and left outside for the night. The sixth jug was used as a control. Jug temperatures, weather conditions and outdoor temperatures were closely monitored. Tests were split into 4 groups: Sub zero, Above zero, No jacket, and Snow Cave. All 5 test blankets clearly helped to retain heat. The Heatsheet Blanket was my winner, retaining an average of 71.15% of its’ jugs heat. My hypothesized winner, thermal bivvy, retained an overage of 67.79% of its’ jugs heat. Adding a snow cave shelter made a profound improvement in heat retention. Emergency blankets clearly improved heat retention in cold weather. Having the silver reflective mylar facing the body (jug) improved heat retention, while the “thermal” properties of our blankets did not make any significant difference. Although there were often only a few degrees difference between blankets, those few degrees could mean the difference between life and death. Is your life worth $4.00? Buy a blanket! |
| Project Title | Macrophage Response to Local Antibiotic Release |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1008 |
| Student Name | Kaelyn Loveless
Jessica Brooks |
| Abstract | The purpose of this project is to assess the impact of an antibiotic on macrophages, ultimately, to help orthopedic surgeons treat surgical-sourced infections. By using a locally- released antibiotic, surgeons will be able to better fight an infection. During this experiment, synthetic bone was coated in polycaprolactone and riframpicin. These synthetic bone grafts were placed in wells containing macrophages and monitored for 72 hours before being removed from the culture. Macrophages were examined visually. Many macrophages were killed and some even exploded in the presence of released antibiotic and polymer. Although, this was not predicted, it brought up some interesting questions as to why this occurred. In conclusion, macrophages seemed to be negatively impacted by both the polymer and the polymer plus the antibiotic. This information will be useful for future experiments to determine how much antibiotic can be applied locally. |
| Project Title | Macrophage Response to Local Antibiotic Release |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1008 |
| Student Name | Jessica Brooks
Kaelyn Loveless |
| Abstract | The purpose of this project is to assess the impact of an antibiotic on macrophages, ultimately, to help orthopedic surgeons treat surgical-sourced infections. By using a locally- released antibiotic, surgeons will be able to better fight an infection. During this experiment, synthetic bone was coated in polycaprolactone and riframpicin. These synthetic bone grafts were placed in wells containing macrophages and monitored for 72 hours before being removed from the culture. Macrophages were examined visually. Many macrophages were killed and some even exploded in the presence of released antibiotic and polymer. Although, this was not predicted, it brought up some interesting questions as to why this occurred. In conclusion, macrophages seemed to be negatively impacted by both the polymer and the polymer plus the antibiotic. This information will be useful for future experiments to determine how much antibiotic can be applied locally. |
| Project Title | The Tendons of the Knee |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1009 |
| Student Name | Tiffany Phan |
| Abstract | The project is mainly about testing the knee's tendon. This experiment is mainly about how the tendons in the knee work and how they are used in a daily basis. Some things that had to be adjusted to perform the experiment are that the bones and its tendons were replaced by PVC pipes and rubber bands. The project was done to see how the knee works and what will happen if the knee's tendons were to get a tear. |
| Project Title | BLAST from the Past |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1010 |
| Student Name | Margaret Rodeback |
| Abstract | Annual flu vaccines contain three strains selected from those already infecting humans in that season. They would be more effective if we could predict which flu varieties will strike in advance. I compared RNA sequences of flu varieties over many years, looking for a pattern. I used H1N1 as a control because it has caused two pandemics, the 1918 Spanish Flu and the 2009 Swine Flu. I compared RNA sequences from each pandemic and from intermediate years using BLAST (Basic Local Alignment Search Tool) tests. 91 years passed between the two H1N1 pandemics; 2009 strains averaged 81.5 percent similarity to 1918 strains. I collected RNA sequences for H2N2 Asian Flu and H3N2 Hong Kong Flu pandemics and intermediate strains, and compared them. Over time, the intermediate strains grew less similar to the pandemics. However, each reached a point when the similarity rebounded and the percentages began to increase. Using percentages of similarity from the BLAST tests, I calculated an average rate of change in percent per year for each variety. I projected the similarity of H2N2 and H3N2 intermediate strains to their pandemic strains 91 years after the pandemic. According to the projections, H2N2 will be approximately 81.3 percent similar to the pandemic, and H3N2 will be approximately 64.5 percent similar to the pandemic. H2N2's projection is close to the H1N1 data and also had the biggest rebound. Although the data does not indicate a cyclical pattern, it may indicate a wave pattern for influenza pandemics. |
| Project Title | Think Fast |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1011 |
| Student Name | Kit Shawgo
Austin Buxton |
| Abstract | Our project is the analysis of how temperature can affect the reaction time of a human. In our project we had six subjects and we exposed them to different temperatures to change their body temperature and then we tested their reaction time by dropping a ruler above their hand and recorded how far up the rule the top of their hand was there by accurately testing the time that they took to recognize that the ruler was falling and to catch it. Throughout the course of the project we had a few problems with some of the subjects anticipating the drop and unfocused subjects which slightly skewed test results but we believe that the unfocused and anticipated drops outweigh each other and still gave us fairly accurate results. |
| Project Title | Think Fast |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1011 |
| Student Name | Austin Buxton
Kit Shawgo |
| Abstract | Abstract Our project is the analysis of how temperature can affect the reaction time of a human. In our project we had six subjects and we exposed them to different temperatures to change their body temperature and then we tested their reaction time by dropping a ruler above their hand and recorded how far up the rule the top of their hand was there by accurately testing the time that they took to recognize that the ruler was falling and to catch it. Throughout the course of the project we had a few problems with some of the subjects anticipating the drop and unfocused subjects which slightly skewed test results but we believe that the unfocused and anticipated drops outweigh each other and still gave us fairly accurate results. |
| Project Title | In Vitro Evaluation of the Potential for Resistance Develeopment in Caragenin CSA-13 |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1012 |
| Student Name | Justin See |
| Abstract | One of the major problems facing the drug industry is the development of anti-microbial resistance in bacteria. One of nature’s oldest methods for killing bacteria, Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs), have been killing bacteria for eons, and may serve as a model for stopping resistance development. AMPs themselves have a high cost of production and are impractical, so researchers have developed a non-peptide mimic called caragenins. My question was if caragenins retained AMP’s ability to continuously kill bacteria, and hypothesized that caragenins would have a low potential for resistance development, and therefore retain the ability to kill bacteria over time. In order to test my hypothesis, I developed strains of bacteria that were resistant to a common drug, Colistin, and compared the results to those of a lead caragenin, CSA-13. Two strains of bacteria were challenged with Colistin: A. baumannii (AB) and P. aeuruginosa (PA). These bacteria were grown in the presence of Colistin, so that they developed increasing resistance over time. Throughout the growth of these resistant strains, I recorded the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC), or the smallest concentration of Colistin necessary to kill the bacteria. Eventually, Colistin resistance skyrocketed in both strains of bacteria. This data was contrasted with results from CSA-13, which showed only a slight increase in resistance over the same period of time. Several other standard drugs were contrasted as well. This data shows that CSA-13 has retained AMP’s low potential for resistance development, confirming my hypothesis. Caragenins are a major step towards long-lasting and effective antibiotics. |
| Project Title | GMO Foods |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1013 |
| Student Name | Eliza Shumway |
| Abstract | In my experiment, Detection of Genetically Modified Foods (GMO Foods), I tested 12 different foods for the presence of “genetically modified ingredients”. The promoter common to most (~80%) genetically modified gene sequences is the 35S promoter from the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV 35S). The most common terminator used in GM crops is the nopaline synthase (NOS) terminator from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. These two gene sequences on the beginning and end of GM gene sequences are what I was looking for. If the results showed the presence of these “ingredients” we could prove that that food was genetically modified. In the absence of those DNA markers, I could not disprove the presence of genetically modified ingredients. It is possible they could have other kinds of genetically modified ingredients that I did not test for the presence of. |
| Project Title | Induction Maintenance Regimen with Pegaptanib Sodium for the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1014 |
| Student Name | Madison Mehr
Molly Reeder |
| Abstract | The leading cause of vision loss in Americans age 60 and older is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels grow under the macula (central retina), leading to fluid accumulation and bleeding. If untreated it rapidly leads to severe vision loss. This adversely affects daily life in the ability to read, drive, watch television and perform routine tasks. This study involves two drugs used to stabilize wet AMD¬–Macugen (pegaptanib sodium) and Lucentis (ranibizumab). Macugen is $1,000 per injection and is administered every six weeks. Lucentis is $2,000 per injection and is administered every four weeks, but it also carries the risk of heart attack and stroke whereas Macugen is not known to carry this risk. This study is designed to see if Macugen is equally effective as Lucentis for maintenance of wet macular degeneration. A review of patient charts was performed for patients receiving Macugen as maintenance therapy for wet AMD. Following the stabilization using Lucentis every 4 weeks, Macugen was then given as intravitreal injections every six weeks. 10 patients were followed for 42 weeks during the maintenance phase. The central point thickness of the macula and best-corrected visual acuity remained stable. The study confirmed Macugen does provide stabilization of wet AMD. Therefore the benefits to the patient are a reduction in the number of injections, fewer risks to the patient and an annual savings of $15,000 in drug costs per year per patient. |
| Project Title | Induction Maintenance Regimen with Pegaptanib Sodium for the Treatment of Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1014 |
| Student Name | Molly Reeder
Madison Mehr |
| Abstract | The leading cause of vision loss in Americans age 60 and older is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Wet AMD occurs when new blood vessels grow under the macula (central retina), leading to fluid accumulation and bleeding. If untreated it rapidly leads to severe vision loss. This adversely affects daily life in the ability to read, drive, watch television and perform routine tasks. This study involves two drugs used to stabilize wet AMD¬–Macugen (pegaptanib sodium) and Lucentis (ranibizumab). Macugen is $1,000 per injection and is administered every six weeks. Lucentis is $2,000 per injection and is administered every four weeks, but it also carries the risk of heart attack and stroke whereas Macugen is not known to carry this risk. This study is designed to see if Macugen is equally effective as Lucentis for maintenance of wet macular degeneration. A review of patient charts was performed for patients receiving Macugen as maintenance therapy for wet AMD. Following the stabilization using Lucentis every 4 weeks, Macugen was then given as intravitreal injections every six weeks. 10 patients were followed for 42 weeks during the maintenance phase. The central point thickness of the macula and best-corrected visual acuity remained stable. The study confirmed Macugen does provide stabilization of wet AMD. Therefore the benefits to the patient are a reduction in the number of injections, fewer risks to the patient and an annual savings of $15,000 in drug costs per year per patient. |
| Project Title | Hydro Pee |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1015 |
| Student Name | Brieann Walker |
| Abstract | I want to know if the more hydrated you are effects the amount of water you breath and sweat out at night? I believe that the more you put in the more you get out. So for my project participants drank water at three different levels and weighed themselves in the morning and the night. In order to test hydration participants will collect their pee in a cup and compare the levels to a hydration flow chart (using color. The different levels effected the amount of water weight that was lost the more Hydrated the participants were, the more water weight was lost. At level five hydration the average water weight loss was about one half pound per night. At level three hydration the average weight loss was around two pounds water weight lost. At level one hydration the average water weight loss was three pounds water weights. After analyzing my data I discovered the math mathematical equation y=(-.61)(% hydration)+3.567, this allows me to plug in the subtracted difference in water weight and it will tell me what level hydration the participants are at. Which makes peeing in a cup no longer necessary. This led me to the conclusion that the more dehydrated you are makes you retain more water. |
| Project Title | Multivitamin Solubility |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1016 |
| Student Name | Amelia Weight |
| Abstract | Multivitamin Solubility Amelia Weight Spanish Fork Junior High, Spanish Fork, Utah, USA Purpose: I wanted to find out what multivitamin dissolved best in a stomach like environment, and if that effected the bioavailability of the multivitamin. Procedure: I created a stomach like environment with a temperature that ranged very close to body temperature (98.6°F.), mix the hydrochloric acid with water with a ratio of 1:9, dropped the vitamins in the mixture and agitated every 2 ½ minutes for 15 minutes and then every 5 minutes for 45 minutes. Total running experiment time was 1 hour. Preparation time was 3 hours. Recorded all action in every test tube using a chart I created to document progress of the dissolving multivitamins. Carefully and properly disposed of the solution and recorded everything. Data: Tube #7 was the first to dissolve Tube #2 was second to dissolve Tube #4 was third to dissolve Tube #1, 5 and 6 had very slight changes or none at all. Conclusion: I learned that the multivitamin in tube #7 was the multivitamin that dissolved and would give the body the nutrients the quickest. |
| Project Title | Bright "n" White |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1017 |
| Student Name | A.J. Cindrich
Abby Clements |
| Abstract | The main focus of our science project was to discover the most effective method of whitening one’s teeth. Our hypothesis was that if one buys a teeth-whitening product, their teeth will whiten more or less depending on the price of the product. We went through several procedural processes, and methods in order to analyze the effects of each product. We bought 7 different teeth whitening products (including the Control: Crest toothpaste). We selected 7 subjects in which we randomly assigned the 7 products. Over the course of ten days, they brushed three times a day and whitened with their assigned product. We collected our data at the end of the ten days, and analyzed the change in color that each product made. We concluded that our hypothesis was correct and that the most expensive product had the biggest effect, but all of the products had effects nonetheless. In today’s day and age, beauty is an aspect in the every day person’s life. We tried to think of a science project that would be able to apply to these people and help them find a product to enhance their beauty at a price and quality applicable to them. We finally came to the decision to find out which teeth whitening product had the greatest effects, and if the expensive ones, as well as the cheaper ones, really did make a big difference. Throughout the course of this project, we will be helping consumers decide which product is best for them. |
| Project Title | Bright "n" White |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1017 |
| Student Name | Abbigail Clements
A.J. Cindrich |
| Abstract | The main focus of our science project was to discover the most effective method of whitening one’s teeth. Our hypothesis was that if one buys a teeth-whitening product, their teeth will whiten more or less depending on the price of the product. We went through several procedural processes, and methods in order to analyze the effects of each product. We bought 7 different teeth whitening products (including the Control: Crest toothpaste). We selected 7 subjects in which we randomly assigned the 7 products. Over the course of ten days, they brushed three times a day and whitened with their assigned product. We collected our data at the end of the ten days, and analyzed the change in color that each product made. We concluded that our hypothesis was correct and that the most expensive product had the biggest effect, but all of the products had effects nonetheless. In today’s day and age, beauty is an aspect in the every day person’s life. We tried to think of a science project that would be able to apply to these people and help them find a product to enhance their beauty at a price and quality applicable to them. We finally came to the decision to find out which teeth whitening product had the greatest effects, and if the expensive ones, as well as the cheaper ones, really did make a big difference. Throughout the course of this project, we will be helping consumers decide which product is best for them. |
| Project Title | It's All in The Genes |
| Category | Medicine & Health |
| Table Number | H1018 |
| Student Name | Marlee Whetten |
| Abstract | I don’t think there is anyone who has not been affected by cancer in some way. Either you have had it personally or someone close to you has been diagnosed with this terrible disease. Consequently, cancer has always been a curious subject of interest to me. Because of this I decided to research the formation of DNA and how that relates to the coding of genes. I then learned how that process sometimes becomes mutated, creating a cancerous cell. From my research I began to wonder; can an over-expressed gene lead to cancer? Looking through libraries of nucleotide sequences available on the Cancer Genome Anatomy Project website I searched for the expression (or how many times that sequence occurred) in cancerous and non-cancerous cells, specifically looking for over-expression in pancreatic cancer cells. The data showed how many times a specific sequence was found in cancerous and non-cancerous cell tissues. I picked 3 examples from which to make a conclusion on gene expression. In my High Expression example there were 3619 tags, meaning that that specific nucleotide sequence was found 3619 times in the cancerous samples. In my Low Expression example there were 28 tags in cancerous samples. In my Control Group there were no tags found in cancerous samples. From my data I concluded that as a gene coding for the pancreas becomes increasingly over-expressed it has a higher chance of leading to cancer. |
| Project Title | Yeast Reproduction in Sugar Substitues |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1101 |
| Student Name | Caleb Wolthuis |
| Abstract | Can sugar substitutes produce yeast yields equal or better than regular sugar and allow those with hypoglycemia to enjoy bread. Yeast Reproduction in Sugar and Sugar Substitutes Dry Yeast--Sugar(s) and Sugar Substitutes—Water (approximately 80 degrees) 1.Collected and Marked 6 identical water bottles 1.created computer data table on Excel 2.Acquired Graduated Cylinder-BYU Science Dept 3.Acquired clear fuel line tubing and silicone-Ace Hardware 1.fabricated air tight cap assembly 4.Acquired Sugar and Sugar Substitutes-Thanks Starbucks, IHOP and Denny's 5.Acquired Yeast-Instant Brand-Thanks Mom 6.Set up collection tub- 1.Graduated cylinder too small-gas filled cylinder in a few minutes 2.Measured 25 ML increments, poured this into a new Water Bottle 20 times for CO2 collection and marked the increments each time I added the water. 7.Adjustments 1.started with water temperature at 110 degrees 2.This killed the yeast-it was too hot 3.tried different temperatures for the water-consulted expert baker 4.adjusted water temperature to 80 degrees for this brand of yeast-excellent results 1.I had to use a collection bottle that was 20x's the size of the graduated cylinder. Sugar substitutes can produce yeast growth equivalent to using sugar for yeast production. |
| Project Title | Hidden Mysteries of the Library |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1102 |
| Student Name | Kimberly Mertens
Clara Elnicky |
| Abstract | As a continuation of last year's science fair, we tested for E coli in the children's section at the library because last year's tests found that there was the most bacterial colonies in that section. Our hypothesis was that we wouldn’t find E coli because E coli is a fecal bacterium meaning that there would be some type of fecal waste on the books. Our hypothesis was proven correct. We went to Murray Library and swabbed a three-inch square section on the top right corner of the front cover. We swabbed ten different books from three children's categories namely board books, picture books, and chapter books. We took three samples from swabs form each book and transferred them to three different agars: Plate Count Agar, m Endo LES agar, and Nutrient Agar with MUG. We had three cases of presumed E coli. We took samples form them and did a double confirmation using EC Media with MUG. The double confirmation proved there was no E coli present. We learned that Murray Library uses alcohol or disinfecting wipes to sanitize books. The Draper Library, which is where testing was done last year, does not make any attempt to sanitize their books. We found this to be interesting because of a dramatic difference between the amount of bacteria this year and last. Last year every petri dish had bacteria. This year many did not have any. We concluded that what Murray Library does to sanitize their books is very effective. |
| Project Title | Living Mysteries of the Library |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1102 |
| Student Name | Clara Elnicky
Kimberly Mertens |
| Abstract | As a continuation of last year’s science fair we decided to test for E coli in the children’s section at the library because last years tests found that there was the most in the children’s section. We went to the Murray Library and swabbed a three inch square section on the top right corner of the front cover. We swabbed ten different books from three children’s categories namely board books, picture books, and chapter books. We then transferred bacteria to three different agars to see if there was E coli present. The first was a Plate Count Agar. It grows nearly any type of bacteria. The second type of Agar was m Endo LES. It grows a type of bacteria called coliforms. The third type of Agar was Nutrient Agar with MUG. It glows under a black-light when E coli is present. Any positive results we got with the Nutrient Agar with MUG we double confirmed with a broth called EC Media with MUG. We had three cases of presumed E coli. When we did our Double Confirmation we found out that there really was no E coli present. We learned that Murray Library uses a disinfecting wipe on their books. The Draper library does not make any attempt to sanitize their books. We found that there was a difference between the amount of bacteria that grew between both years. Last year every single petri dish had bacteria. This year there were many with no bacteria. This leads us to believe that the cleaning is very effective. |
| Project Title | The Mitigation of Sushi Bacterium |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1103 |
| Student Name | Colby Smith |
| Abstract | Can common food compliments such as wasabi, lemon juice and alcoholic beverages kill bacteria on sushi or raw fish? If bacteria could be killed during digestion, many people would be spared from the uncomfortable affects of the bacteria strain Vibrio Parahaemolyticus and in result, gastrointestinal illness. Sushi consumers could be less concerned about health risks and more people could enjoy raw fish. To test this hypothesis, two culture tubes containing the most common raw fish bacterium, Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, were transferred onto 4 agar plates in a controlled, aerobic incubator environment. After 48 hours and successful colonization, the bacterium was transferred onto 12 new agar plates. After allowing the bacteria to efficiently cover the entire area of each agar plate, wasabi, lime juice, and sake were inoculated onto three plates each. Three other control plates were left to grow for a comparison. The data showed some plates were affected by the compliments and a zone of inhibition was measureable. The lime had the most significant results, while wasabi was second and sake was last. V. Parahaemolyticus requires a pH environment range of 4.8-11. Lime is very acidic with a pH of 2 and wasabi’s pH ranges from 12-14, while sake falls into the range suitable for V. Parahaemolyticus. Lime and wasabi created an unsuitable environment for the bacteria's survival, while sake did only slightly. The pH denatured the bacteria’s enzymes. In conclusion, V. Parahaemolyticus’s effects can be substantially mitigated with the simultaneous ingestion of wasabi and lime juice, and slightly alcohol. |
| Project Title | Does No-Doz Affect How Fast the Heart Goz? |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1104 |
| Student Name | Kyrstin Millett |
| Abstract | For my project, I wanted to see how caffeine affected the heart rate of Daphnia. My original question was: does caffeine change the heart rate of water fleas? My hypothesis was that the amount of caffeine would correlate positively with the heart rate of the Daphnia. I decided to use No-Doz pills for the caffeine in my experiment. I crushed up the No-Doz capsules and mixed them in water at several different concentrations. Then, I put three individual daphnia into each concentration and left them in the cup for ten minutes to let the caffeine get into their system. After the water fleas had been in the cups for ten minutes I took each one out and inserted it onto a microscope slide. I adjusted the settings quickly to be sure that the hot light shining on the water fleas did not affect them. I counted the daphnia’s heartbeats for six seconds and multiplied it by ten in order to get the beats per minute. I repeated this process for each of the daphnia in each of the different cups. After I finished conducting the experiment I analyzed the information and found that the higher the concentration of caffeine in the cup of water, the higher the water flea’s heart rate was. I then graphed the data in several different ways in order to make the data more easily understood. I concluded that my hypothesis was correct, and caffeine made the Daphnia’s heart rate higher. |
| Project Title | Testing Solution in a Which Salt Works Best Transformation Reaction |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1105 |
| Student Name | Wyatt Duclos |
| Abstract | Which salt solution will work best in a transformation reaction? Label one closed micro test tube “+pGlO” and another “-pGlO.” Place them in a foam tube rack. Open the tubes and using a sterile transfer pipet, transfer 250 ?l of the appropriate chemical (calcium, strontium, barium, or magnesium). Place tube on ice. Use a sterile loop to pick up a single colony of bacteria (E.coli) from the LB plate. Put the colony in the “+pGlO” tube completely immersed and swish until all of it is in the liquid. Put back onto ice. Repeat step for “-pGlO.” Using a sterile loop, transfer a soap-bubble like film of plasmid solutions. Mix into “+pGlO” but not “-pGlO.” Put tubes on ice for ten minutes. Next put the tubes into a 42ºC water bath for exactly 50 seconds. Put back on ice for 2 minutes. Remove from ice. Open both tubes and put in 250?L of LB nutrient broth. Let sit for 10 minutes. Pipette 100?L of the “+pGlO” and “-pGlO” onto the appropriate plates. Spread bacteria on each plate using a “lawn” method. Incubate at 37ºC for 24 hours. I found that barium chloride worked better than all else. In one test, it completely outshone the rest and even it’s other test. I also found that calcium chloride was unsuccessful. I believe that even though my results weren’t consistent with my hypothesis, they cannot be completely conclusive due to the small chances of successful transformation (about 1:1,000,000). |
| Project Title | Effects of Survival of Motor Neuron (SMN) Protein Deficiency on Motor Neurons in Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1106 |
| Student Name | Ethan English |
| Abstract | Spinal Muscular Atrophy is characterized by the loss of motor neurons resulting in unresponsiveness in muscles due to a mutation in the SMN 1 gene. This disease is generated by the lack of the survival of motor neuron (SMN) protein. SMN proteins are necessary for the proper assembly of snRNPs which edit mRNA. It is unknown at what rate the loss of motor neurons occurs. Spinal cords from ten infants, 7 with SMA type 1 (the most severe variety of SMA)ranging in age from 4 months old to 4 years old, were analyzed to determine the rate of degeneration. Post-mortem samples from different spinal regions were tagged with ChAT antibody and assessed using a 10x microscope. Standard deviation was calculated to assess variation in sampling. Cervical and lumbar regions demonstrated the greatest difference between SMA patients and the controls. In the cervical and lumbar regions motor neurons are larger than in the thoracic region. This is due to motor neurons in cervical and lumbar regions having to reach muscles in the extremities, (i.e. arms and legs). Results suggest a motor neuron’s greater size produces an increased need for the SMN protein. Consequently, mutations in the SMN gene region diminishes the amount of proteins available to create functional snRNPs. By reducing the level of functional snRNPs, the supply of functional proteins decreases which is required to maintain a large cell body. This cascade effect would explain why larger motor neurons are more effected by the lack of SMN. |
| Project Title | Creating an Expression Vector for Plant Modification Agrobacterium Mediated Gene Transfer |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1107 |
| Student Name | Ellen Peterson
Brenn Winkler |
| Abstract | The purpose of our project is to successfully create an expression vector containing a gene insert that could be used for genetic modification of plants through agrobacterium mediated gene transfer. We believe that if this plasmid could be created, it could be used for expression of desired genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our expression vector will contain two homologous sequences that will make transformation of the plant more specific. The vector will contain promoters and terminators that will promote protein expression of the desired gene once inside the plant. The vector will be able to contain any desired gene insert .To create the fragments of our gene insert we used Polymerase Chain Reaction. We designed and ordered primers specific to the sequences of DNA we need for the expression vector. In our experiment, we have obtained many of the fragments needed for our vector including one homologous sequence, the template vector, and one terminator. We used agarose gels to determine if our fragments were the correct DNA. Once we gather all of our desired fragments we will put them together in an isothermal reaction. This procedure will stick the fragments together to form a circular piece of DNA (expression vector). Once we get the desired vector we will transform agrobacterium with it. The agrobacterium will multiply and will be used for transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana, a mustard plant. Once inside the plant, the desired gene will be produced. |
| Project Title | Creating an Expression Vector for Plant Modification Through Agrobacterium Mediated Gene Transfer |
| Category | Microbiology |
| Table Number | H1107 |
| Student Name | Brennan Winkler
Ellen Peterson |
| Abstract | The purpose of our project is to successfully create an expression vector containing a gene insert that could be used for genetic modification of plants through agrobacterium mediated gene transfer. We believe that if this plasmid could be created, it could be used for expression of desired genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Our expression vector will contain two homologous sequences that will make transformation of the plant more specific. The vector will contain promoters and terminators that will promote protein expression of the desired gene once inside the plant. The vector will be able to contain any desired gene insert .To create the fragments of our gene insert we used Polymerase Chain Reaction. We designed and ordered primers specific to the sequences of DNA we need for the expression vector. In our experiment, we have obtained many of the fragments needed for our vector including one homologous sequence, the template vector, and one terminator. We used agarose gels to determine if our fragments were the correct DNA. Once we gather all of our desired fragments we will put them together in an isothermal reaction. This procedure will stick the fragments together to form a circular piece of DNA (expression vector). Once we get the desired vector we will transform agrobacterium with it. The agrobacterium will multiply and will be used for transformation of Arabidopsis thaliana, a mustard plant. Once inside the plant, the desired gene will be produced. |
| Project Title | Micro Hydroelectric Generator |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H0703 |
| Student Name | Mikaylie Chevalier
Katherine Lott Kaitlin Barwick |
| Abstract | The purpose of this project is to determine the relationship between electric current production (independent) and flow rate of water (dependent). The hypothesis that as the water flow rate increases, the electric current will also increase. The team researched hydroelectric generators and experimental design. A systematic diagrammed instruction manual was found. These instructions were followed closely, with the exception of a slightly different shaped housing, slightly different sized wire, and a few different tools. The stator disk was assembled by creating four coils of 170 turns of wire, cutting out the disk from a template, and securing the coils according to the directions with hot glue on the disk. The rotator was assembled by cutting out the cardboard according to the template and gluing magnets on, alternating polarity. The cork was cut at regular intervals and spoons were inserted as paddles. The generator was assembled by cutting the bottom off the housing. Then the cork was placed inside. The stator disk was secured to the side of the housing. The rotator disk was secured to the dowel, which ran through each part of the generator, a few centimeters above the stator disk. Data was taken by measuring flow rate by timing how long it took to fill up a beaker to a predetermined amount. The generator was placed into the water, and the alternating current was measured. This was repeated five times. The conclusion was the electric current increases proportionally to the flow rate. |
| Project Title | Tesla Developments (or Developments on Tesla's Theory) |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1201 |
| Student Name | Kacen Moody |
| Abstract | Purpose: To measure the electrical field created by a Tesla Coil and then test if wireless battery charging can be done because of the large electrical field. Need: The purpose of this project is to explore the electrical field generated by a Tesla coil and to then look at the possibilities of the wireless charging of batteries. This will be done by building a Tesla coil and finding the voltage versus distance change in the electrical field created by the coil. Procedure: 1) First in experimentation I need to build a Tesla coil which will be done by using sources found on the internet. 2) Then for actual testing I am planning on using a voltmeter to test the voltage at different distances. This is done by measuring the distance, setting the meter to the proper setting and then firing coil so I can read the voltage at that specific distance. 3) As far as other testing goes, I will test the effect that placing different things on the coil or near to it have. This is done to test the functionality of the arcs with different mediums and breakout points. As part of this I will place lights next to the coil to test the electrical field’s function on the lights. 4) After taking data of voltage versus distance I will plot them on a graph and find the line of best fit by using the regression functions on calculators and online graphers. |
| Project Title | Surface Tension |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1202 |
| Student Name | Hannah Hanks |
| Abstract | I became interested in testing the surface tension of liquids after testing the viscosity of liquids at different temperatures in the 2009-2010 school year. The question that I wanted to answer by this experiment is: since viscosity changes with temperature, will the surface tension be affected by it as well, and correlate with viscosity? It was hypothesized that an increase in temperature will result in a weakening of the surface tension. The surface tension was tested by constructing a balance beam that measured how much weight (in ml of water) it took to pull a needle free of the liquid’s surface tension. The results showed that the hypothesis was correct, because it took on average 3.13 ml less of water to lift the needle off of the 60 degree Celsius water than from the 5 degree water. This is important because it explains factors in weather, like how precipitation in hot temperatures will be more of a mist because the surface tension is only strong enough to hold a certain amount inside the water droplets. This also shows that hot water is better for cleaning because a weaker surface tension can get into crevices a lot better. This experiment showed a direct correlation between the surface tension and viscosity of liquids, and I have come to a greater understanding of each and how they work together. |
| Project Title | Bullet Speed: Who's Top Gun? |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1203 |
| Student Name | Ireland Christensen
Remington Payton |
| Abstract | For this experiment, we did a test to see which bullets fly the fastest when shot out of a.40 S&W Taurus pistol. We first loaded all of the bullets we used in this experiment by hand, so that each bullet of that type were loaded exactly the same. You cannot load every single bullet within all the types with the exact same amount of powder because different types of bullets don’t use the same amount, and when getting risky with powder a disaster is expected. In the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading there is a range that you can use when putting powder in and we took the exact middle number out of that range of each type of bullet, because it was a more realistic type circumstance. Hollow Point had 10.5 grain of powder, FMJ had 8.4 grain, Standard Lead had 7.8 grain, Personal Defense had 10 grain. We used a chronograph (an instrument used to measure speed of the bullets) to measure this data. We thought that out of the types of bullets that we test, (hollow point, FMJ, standard lead, and personal defense) that the FMJ bullets would go the fastest. We thought that because FMJ bullets are intended to go all the way through the target. Under professional adult supervision we shot the bullets through the chronograph and recorded the speeds. We averaged out the speeds and concluded that FMJ’s went the fastest with 1311.5, then personal defense, hollow point, and standard lead. |
| Project Title | Bullet Speed: Who's Top Gun? |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1203 |
| Student Name | Remington Payton
Ireland Christensen |
| Abstract | For this experiment, we did a test to see which bullets fly the fastest when shot out of a.40 S&W Taurus pistol. We first loaded all of the bullets we used in this experiment by hand, so that each bullet of that type were loaded exactly the same. You cannot load every single bullet within all the types with the exact same amount of powder because different types of bullets don’t use the same amount, and when getting risky with powder a disaster is expected. In the Hornady Handbook of Cartridge Reloading there is a range that you can use when putting powder in and we took the exact middle number out of that range of each type of bullet, because it was a more realistic type circumstance. Hollow Point had 10.5 grain of powder, FMJ had 8.4 grain, Standard Lead had 7.8 grain, Personal Defense had 10 grain. We used a chronograph (an instrument used to measure speed of the bullets) to measure this data. We thought that out of the types of bullets that we test, (hollow point, FMJ, standard lead, and personal defense) that the FMJ bullets would go the fastest. We thought that because FMJ bullets are intended to go all the way through the target. Under professional adult supervision we shot the bullets through the chronograph and recorded the speeds. We averaged out the speeds and concluded that FMJ’s went the fastest with 1311.5, then personal defense, hollow point, and standard lead. |
| Project Title | blood splatter anaysis |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1204 |
| Student Name | Jonathan Kesler |
| Abstract | Crime scene investigation shows are very popular on television today, but is there any truth to the methods they show? Blood splatter is one of the ways that weapons used are identified and where the indecent take place, does this really work however? the purpose of this experiment is to test the worth of blood splatter analysis techniques. To test we need to simulate a crime scene , this is accomplished by using simulated blood made with common household ingredients. simulate a crime scene we use a wall with an interior corner covered in paper. Blood splattering is done using a household sponge and the simulated blood resembling the viscosity of blood and a hammer . Splattering is made and allowed to dry undisturbed, with a metric ruler the a single spot is measured for width and length . The data is put the the mathematical equation arc sin or sin ^-1 to find the angle measurement. A protractor is set perpendicular to the mark and then a string is used to show the path of the mark. This is repeated for five more points. these paths are are a direct result of the splatter mark as is was traveling as it hit the paper showing the angle and direction it originated . These results are mostly accurate if the splattering was consistent and allowed to dry undisturbed . The results show where the splatter originated but where different than original test procedure to make splatter the results changed. |
| Project Title | Chillin' |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1205 |
| Student Name | Daurion Chase Smith
Vanessa Wall |
| Abstract | We determined the fastest way to cool down a can of apple juice by utilizing the effects of thermal conductivity and specific heat on heat transfer. After placing apple juice cans at the same room temperature in a fridge, a freezer, an ice bath, and an ice-water bath, we measured the temperature of the apple juice every five minutes and recorded our data. We stopped after 50 minutes as the apple juice temperatures stabilized. Afterwards, we constructed a time-temperature graph of our data as well as a graph of time-temperature dropped for every 5 minutes. From our data, the temperature of the apple juice in the ice-water bath dropped the fastest over the 50 min. period. Since ice-water consists of very dense molecules and eliminates the air pockets readily available in all the other cooling devices, it rapidly cooled down the apple juice through the direct molecular interactions between the water and the apple juice. After 15 min., the apple juice was 6.2 C° in the ice-water bath while in the fridge, freezer and ice, the apple juice was 19.1 C°, 17.1 C°, and 16.1 C°, respectively. After 50 min. the apple juice finally reached 1.6 C°. Due to water’s very high thermal conductivity and high specific heat, it was able to cool down the apple juice the fastest. Not only did our charts and graphs prove our hypothesis correct, but also, we now know an effective and fast way to cool down a can apple juice for the summertime. |
| Project Title | Chillin' |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1205 |
| Student Name | Vanessa Wall
Daurion Chase |
| Abstract | We determined the fastest way to cool down a can of apple juice by utilizing the effects of thermal conductivity and specific heat on heat transfer. After placing apple juice cans at the same room temperature in a fridge, a freezer, an ice bath, and an ice-water bath, we measured the temperature of the apple juice every five minutes and recorded our data. We stopped after 50 minutes as the apple juice temperatures stabilized. Afterwards, we constructed a time-temperature graph of our data as well as a graph of time-temperature dropped for every 5 minutes. From our data, the temperature of the apple juice in the ice-water bath dropped the fastest over the 50 min. period. Since ice-water consists of very dense molecules and eliminates the air pockets readily available in all the other cooling devices, it rapidly cooled down the apple juice through the direct molecular interactions between the water and the apple juice. After 15 min., the apple juice was 6.2 C° in the ice-water bath while in the fridge, freezer and ice, the apple juice was 19.1 C°, 17.1 C°, and 16.1 C°, respectively. After 50 min. the apple juice finally reached 1.6 C°. Due to water’s very high thermal conductivity and high specific heat, it was able to cool down the apple juice the fastest. Not only did our charts and graphs prove our hypothesis correct, but also, we now know an effective and fast way to cool down a can apple juice for the summertime. |
| Project Title | Clarinet Reeds |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1206 |
| Student Name | Janelle Morgan |
| Abstract | The sound of a wind instrument is greatly dependent on the structure of the reed. Musicians disagree as to the appropriate preparation of the reed in their effort to improve performance. In their attempts to achieve proper pitch, clarinet musicians may question the correct quantity of cane to be removed. This project looks at five clarinet reeds and studies the change in pitch achieved when the reeds’ subsurface is sanded at a set number of strokes. The experiment took place in temperature controlled environment. The reeds were independently soaked in water for ninety seconds. Each reed was then placed on a 400 grit water-proof paper supported by tempered glass and sanded in a uniform figure-eight stroke (independent variable) at increasing 15 stroke intervals. The reed was positioned on the same mouthpiece and ligature, and attached to the same clarinet. The concert F pitch was played by the same musician (dependent variable). The pitch was then measured using a digital tuner set at 440 Hz. The musician was blinded from the readings throughout the procedure. I hypothesized that a reed stroked thirty times would most likely produce proper pitch. However, the mean pitch increased with sanding. Thus a reed that was not sanded was more likely to produce proper pitch. |
| Project Title | Does Frequency Have an Effect on Distance Audibility? |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1207 |
| Student Name | Taylor Stevens |
| Abstract | The purpose of my procedure was to figure out if some frequencies are more audible at distances. While driving one day, I realized that I could hear the bass from the music of the car next to me better than I could hear tones that had a higher frequency; I wondered why that was. Were some frequencies more audible at distances than others were? With this question in mind, I decided to conduct this experiment. Using a tone generator, I produced five tones of frequencies on the ‘A’ scale (A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5). These frequencies are measured in hertz (Hz). With a decibel (dB) meter, I measured the loudness of the frequencies. I tested the frequencies at five distances— my controlled variable was the distances and the manipulated variable was the tones of frequency. I measured each frequency at each distance three times, and took the averages of the three times to complete my data. It doesn’t seem that one frequency was any better at distance audibility than any of the others. This could be due to several factors. One possible reason could be that the room was very reflective. Another possibility is that amplifier is more efficient at generating some tones than others generate. Altogether, there are many things that I could have had an effect on the results. |
| Project Title | Need For Speed |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1208 |
| Student Name | Elijah Lewis
Zachary Schaeffer |
| Abstract | Need For Speed-Abstract Many myths exist about the various ways to make a pinewood derby car go faster. One of the most common questions is, does taking one of the wheels off of a pinewood derby car increase its speed? Because each tire can cause the car to lose speed due to friction, it is hypothesized that it will go faster by taking one of the tires off. In this experiment, an indoor track war created and each car was tested with two configurations. They were first tested with the traditional four wheels, then with three. The same cars were tested multiple times to get an average speed. The cars total weight was maintained by attaching the removed tire to the car. The average speed for car one and car two with four wheels was 1.637 and 1.642 seconds respectively. The average for car one and two with three wheels was 1.406 and 1.530 seconds. The difference between averages was .231 seconds for car one, and .112 seconds for car two. Results showed three wheels increased the cars speed ( car one by 14% and car two by7 %) and reduced the overall run time. This one piece of knowledge could be the difference between exhilaration of victory and the humiliation of losing to an eight-year-old and their fathers. |
| Project Title | Need for Speed |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1208 |
| Student Name | Zachary Schaeffer
Elijah Lewis |
| Abstract | Need For Speed-Abstract Many myths exist about the various ways to make a pinewood derby car go faster. One of the most common questions is, does taking one of the wheels off of a pinewood derby car increase its speed? Because each tire can cause the car to lose speed due to friction, it is hypothesized that it will go faster by taking one of the tires off. In this experiment, an indoor track war created and each car was tested with two configurations. They were first tested with the traditional four wheels, then with three. The same cars were tested multiple times to get an average speed. The cars total weight was maintained by attaching the removed tire to the car. The average speed for car one and car two with four wheels was 1.637 and 1.642 seconds respectively. The average for car one and two with three wheels was 1.406 and 1.530 seconds. The difference between averages was .231 seconds for car one, and .112 seconds for car two. Results showed three wheels increased the cars speed ( car one by 14% and car two by7 %) and reduced the overall run time. This one piece of knowledge could be the difference between exhilaration of victory and the humiliation of losing to an eight-year-old and their fathers. |
| Project Title | Swimming is Such a Drag!!! |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1209 |
| Student Name | Jennifer Heninger
Jennifer Heninger |
| Abstract | Have you ever wondered what difference a swimsuit material would make in a meet? I knew there were materials that worked better than others, but I wanted to know exactly which materials affected drag force the most. I predicted that since smoother materials don't drag as much through water compared to rougher materials, than the satin nylon would be the least drag resistance and would therefore glide through the water without difficulty. I tested this hypothesis by getting a 10 foot trough, 4 foot long wood, cotton, foam, lycra, satin nylon, a hose, a force sensor, lab pro, and a laptop. I started off by placing the trough between a sink and a drain, slightly slanted downward. I connected the hose to a sink and pointed it to the top of the trough, ready to turn on. After placing the wood (in turn with different materials) inside the trough, I connected the force sensor to a nail in the wood, the lab pro to the force sensor and the laptop to the lab pro. The water was turned on, the data collected, and the results were a little surprising. Instead of the satin nylon having the least resistance, I found that it was the most resistant and the foam was fastest through the water. With this new research, swimmers should wear foam swimsuits to get the fastest times! |
| Project Title | Can Effect The Earth's Magnetic Field |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1210 |
| Student Name | Ashley Nielson |
| Abstract | Can solar storms Effect the Earths Magnetic Field? The purpose for me doing this project is I wanted to learn more about the earth’s magnetic field and the relation it has to solar storms. How I came up with the question is I was reading a small article on solar storms, and I read something about how solar storms can affect people on Earth. It can cause power outages, failures of communication, and many other problems. So I wanted to do a project that relates to something in that ballpark. What I did to test this was I built a homemade manometer out of a soda bottle and a magnet that is extremely sensitive. It will work kind of like a compass. To make this device, I cut a soda bottle in half and placed sand in the bottom to make it more stable. I then tied a piece of string to the top of the bottle and sent it down to where the magnet is glued to an index card. It worked just as I thought it would, when there was a shift in the magnet it allowed me to tell that there was a shift in the magnetic field. Just to verify my results I used the NOAA website, our results always matched up. My results of my experiment showed that solar storms do effect the Earth’s magnetic field. I came to a conclusion that by using the magnometer I can detect when a solar storm occurs. |
| Project Title | Take Your Mark, Go! |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1211 |
| Student Name | Hannah Shawgo |
| Abstract | I am on the swim team and one thing I am constantly working on is my dives. Different coaches have said different things regarding starts, and so I decided to do my projects based on swim starts. My question is “What is the optimum angle to bend the knee at for the most effective swim start?” My hypothesis was that there would be an angle where despite the force increasing, the work done would not increase, and that would be the optimum angle. I started by researching biomechanics and force vectors in the body. Next, I interviewed my coaches, my school’s athletic trainer, a physical therapist, and a chiropractor to get more information about starts and knees in general. I decided to determine the optimum angle using a model. My dad and brother helped me design and build my model. To test using the model, I hung weights from fishing line that ran across the knee joint and, when enough force was applied, would straighten the leg. I tested five different angles and did three trials for each angle; I averaged the trials and used those values to do my calculations. I used the equation W=Fd equation to determine the amount of work done to extend the leg from each angle and then graphed the results. It turns out the optimum angle for a swim start is 95 to 100 degrees. |
| Project Title | Nature's Pause |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1212 |
| Student Name | Kaden Sumsion |
| Abstract | My project is based on the periodic spring up near the city of Afton, Wyoming. This amazing work of nature is able to turn the water flow on and off every 4-30 min. The theory for the spring to be able to do this is, there is an underground lake the has a siphon leading from the lake the the beginning of the spring. I wanted to test this theory. So my problem statement was “ Does the placement of the end of the siphon affect how fast the water goes through”. My Hypothesis was “ the siphons end has to be level with the beginning of the siphon for it to work the best”.So I built a siphon and tested to see how long it took for a gallon of water to go through the siphon. When the siphons end was at 7.5 centimeters (low) its average time to go through was about 47 seconds which results in 1.28gal per minute. When the siphon was at 15 centimeters (level) its average time was about 43 seconds which resulted in 1.4gal per minute. When the siphon was at 22.5 centimeters (high) the average time was 150 seconds which resulted in .4gal per minute. So in conclusion my hypothesis was right. The siphon worked best when the height was level with the beginning. |
| Project Title | Radar |
| Category | Physics & Astronomy |
| Table Number | H1213 |
| Student Name | Dorothy Van Komen |
| Abstract | Understanding the way radar works is important to engineers as they consider ways to keep air force pilots and their crew safe. This project researched the history of radar and stealth technology and the key factors in making an aircraft less detectable by radar. As an experiment, light was bounced off various paper shapes (a cylinder, and paper folded into a V-shape and a W-shape) and measured by a luxe meter underneath the light source to see how many waves were reflected to the original source. The results of this experiment illustrate how radio waves (radar) react to different shapes. These results can be extended to stealth technology and aircraft design. The experiments showed that steeper angles and flat surfaces are the best shapes to use in stealth technology as they reflect waves away from the original source. |
| Project Title | Burning Calories |
| Category | Plant Science |
| Table Number | H1301 |
| Student Name | Mekell Craft |
| Abstract | I have always been conscious of how many calories are in what foods. Being a serious runner, knowing this is very helpful. I learned online how to use a homemade calorimeter, and I chose to use nuts because they were easy to burn. I wanted to know which nut had the most calories per gram. I tested five different types of nuts; walnuts, macadamia nuts, cashews, brazilian nuts, and almonds. First I weighed the nut and then put the nut on a needle that was secured by a cork. Then I lit the nut on fire and put it two centimeters under a beaker of water. I waited until the whole nut was done burning, and then I measured how much the water temperature had risen. Then I took the amount of water (times by) the change in the temperature of the water (times by) 1 calorie/1 gram. Then I divided that number by the starting weight of the nut. I tested five of each type of nut, totaling 25 nuts. By doing five of each nut, I averaged them out and got very accurate results. My hypothesis was that the macadamia nut would have the most calories because it is my favorite nut. I was wrong though, the walnut had slightly more calories. The walnut has 2.709 Calories per gram, and the macadamia nut has 2.203 Calories per gram. The nut with the fewest amount of calories was the brazilian nut, with 1.280 Calories per gram. |
| Project Title | Beans vs. Preen |
| Category | Plant Science |
| Table Number | H1302 |
| Student Name | Jessica Fugal |
| Abstract | The reason I chose this project is because my family used Preen to try to kill weeds, but weeds still grew anyway. I wondered if the age of the plants had anything to do with the effect the Preen would have on the weeds. I decided to test bean plants because the Preen should kill them and because they grow so quickly. After doing some research, I hypothesised that the Preen would kill the bean plants no matter how old they were. I started 12 seeds in gallon ziplock bags every day for 9 days. I took two trays and divided them into rows. I planted six seeds into each row of each tray. On 1 tray I sprinkeld 1.5 grams of Preen on each row, and the other tray was my control. I watered the 2 trays with 300 milliliters of distilled water on each row. I observed and counted how many plants grew in each row. The control tray had an average of 3.5 plants per row, but the Preen tray only had an average of 1.8 plants per row. My data partially agreed with my hypothesis, and I concluded that the Preen definitely kills the 0 day old bean seedlings and slows the growth of the "older" plants. |
| Project Title | Evolutionary Genetics of the Great Basin |
| Category | Plant Science |
| Table Number | H1303 |
| Student Name | Bronte Hebdon |
| Abstract | I first wondered about island biogeography as a concept to be applied to the Great Basin when my dad took me hiking up American Fork Canyon. I noticed that the Oquirrh Mountains across the valley had different ecology from where I was standing and I wondered if the short distance across the valley was too far for plants species to migrate. I decided to test one plant species (prairie sage) in three different mountain ranges (Wasatch, Oquirrh and Stansbury) and see if the geography of the area isolated the species. I tested phenotypes, environmental factors and also for genetics. I also conducted research on the beginnings of the theory of island biogeography, natural selection, sky islands, and all the revolutionary scientists that had made an impact in this area. I came to the conclusion that the Great Basin does isolate it's ecology through evidence in the phenotypes and environments. However, after 5 PCR reactions, I could not get my plant DNA to correctly amplify. I continued to research and found a study done by a professor in Nevada that had reached similar conclusions. So, using his conclusions as well as my own, I came to the conclusion that the Great Basin does isolate the species that inhabit it. |
| Project Title | Growing Amaranth In Hydroponics |
| Category | Plant Science |
| Table Number | H1304 |
| Student Name | Ian Lowell |
| Abstract | Hydroponics is a highly effective way to produce food on both large and small scales. Hydroponics may be the farming method of the future but has been present for centuries. This project will focus on the benefits or drawbacks of hydroponic gardening to produce food. I designed my project “Growing Amaranth In Hydroponics” with the question; “Will growing Amaranth in a hydroponic system prove more effective than growing it in dirt?” I decided the best way to test my question would be to set up a hydroponic system and a growing area with dirt. Both methods of growing would be under the same conditions. With this experiment I hypothesize that the amaranth grown in the hydroponic system will prove to grow faster with a higher quality of growth than in normal dirt. Although my testing is not complete has shown that hydroponics is a more effective way to grow Amaranth, when the system is calibrated right. I went wrong with the nutrient I used, causing my plants to turn yellow and deteriorate in health. This problem is be corrected. Although the hydroponic plants have not faired well, they grew and sprouted (from seeds) much better than the plants grown in dirt. My testing is ongoing, therefor, I have not reached a conclusion. |
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