Bubble-ology

Tiffanie Vo Mrs. Espinosa Science, p.3 27 September, 2008

Section 1:
This experiment is to find out what dishwash detergent produces the biggest bubbles. To find this out, I have used the scientific method. Science Standards: 7.c, 7.e 7.c. Communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from the scientific evidence. 7.e. Communicate the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

Problem: Which dishwashing detergent creates the biggest bubble? Hypothesis: If I use the green Palmolive, then it will make the biggest bubbles because it is thick and concentrated so the bubbles will not break easily. Materials: . 4 different colors of dishwash detergent . one cup of each soap . 40 drops of glycerin

. 4 large gallon containers . 4 small beakers . a straw . string . a meter stick . squeegee

Procedure: Step 1: Get 4 different colors of dishwash detergent. Step 2: Pour 1 quart of each dishwash detergent into each gallon container. Step 3: Fill the rest of the bottles with water. Step 4: Measure 20 ml of dishwash detergent in a beaker and pour the soap on the counter. Step 5: Wet an area about 45 cm in diameter. Step 6: Dip the straw in your bubble solution. Step 7: With the straw just touching the soapy surface, gently blow throught the straw to form a bubble dome, and continue until it pops. Step 8: With a meter stick and string, measure the outline of the popped bubble in centimeters. Step 9: Record data Step 10: Repeat steps 4 through 9 three times, each time with a different kind of dishwash detergent.

Section 2:
The data I collected from this experiment was the average size (diameter) of each bubble per dishwash detergent after four trials. The data for the Green Palmolive after four trials was 17 centimeters. The Blue Ajax had 17.5 centimeters. The Yellow Joy got an astonishing size of 21.75 centimeters. The Orange Ajax resulted in 16.375 centimeters. Comparing my average to the class, the results were different. Green Palmolive got a class average size of 13.9 cm. The Blue Ajax got 15.8 cm. The Yellow Joy got 15.2 cm. The Orange Ajax got a result of 16.5 cm. The results were surprising because my group average for Orange Ajax turned out to be the smallest bubble creator with a size of 16.375 out of 21.75.

Section 3:
Lab Questions: Q.1: What is the data you collected in your experiment? A.1: The data I collected was the average bubble size per brand of each color detergent after four trials and I compared that average to the class average and that was our result. Q.2: Why did we measure the bubbles four times instead of doing it just once? A.2: We did it four times so we could know that our results were accurate and if we messed up, we wouldnt think that was the end result. Q.3: Did your results of which brand made the largest bubbles come out the same as that or the whole class? If not, why is there a difference? A.3: No, my groups results did not match the classs results. It probably didnt because we each added too many variables such as the number of

breaths we took, the different types of straws we used, how hard we blew, and etc. Q.4: Is there anything that you did that might have affected the results? A.4: We might have used different straws, used a different number of breaths, and how wide we spread the dishwash detergent on our counter.

Section 4:
Analysis and Conclusion What I have been studying in the lab was that which dishwashing detergent brand created the biggest bubbles. My class and I did some research of what was in the dishwashing detergent. After our research, our class did an experiment to test out which dishwash detergent mad the biggest bubbles. We poured 20 ml of a brand of dishwash detergent onto a flat surface. We spread the soap out to create a 45 diameter circle. We put our straws into the soap and blew bubbles. When the bubble popped, we measured its diameter. We gave each brand of detergent four trails and found the average bubble size for each brand of detergent. Then we compared the results to the entire class average. The data I have found in the lab was that the Green Palmolive got a class average size of 13.9 cm. The Blue Ajax got 15.8 cm. The yellow Joy got 15.2 cm. The Orange Ajax got a result of 16.5 cm. The results were surprising because my group average for Orange Ajax turned out to be the smallest bubble creator with a size of 16.375 out of 21.75. The Orange Ajax dishwash detergent made the biggest bubbles. Therefore, my hypothesis was incorrect. My hypothesis was that the Green Palmolive would be the biggest bubble creator because it was thick, but I

was wrong. Comparing it to the class average, it turned out to be the smallest bubble creator. Orange Ajax was the dishwash detergent that created the biggest bubbles.