Water Filtration

Aim: To test different potential water filters

Hypothesis: That sand is the best material to use to filter particles from water.


Materials:

• sand
• compact clay
• very fine sieve
  ordinary kitchen sponge
  
• filter paper
  
• tight cloth
  
• loose cloth, the kind used for arm slings (not to support anybody's limbs but to support the other materials so they don't fall through with the water)
  
• plastic container or bucket or other, not very large


• muddy water

Method:

• stretch the loose cloth over the opening of the container and secure.
  
• spread the filtering material over the cloth. 5 cm layer for sand and clay.


• combine water and mud/dirt. (250mL, 20g dirt)


• slowly pour the water through the improvised filter.


• wait until all the water has passed through before removing the filter.


• boil in a separate pot until water has evaporated.


• weigh the remaining dirt to determine results.
• repeat if necessary

As you can see, I have returned to my abandoned water filtration idea...I promise this is the very last time I will change my subject. Before I was stuck with the problem of how to measure how well the filtration work, how clean the water was after its detox. By evaporating the water, the residue will be left behind as the particles are too heavy and cannot be turned into gas by very high temperatures, obviously, the particles being mud. And when was the last time you saw mud hovering in the air?

Okay, it doesn't really matter that I won't be able to tabloid my results. But a science report can still be written without including a table. So it's cool. I won't be needing any super high-tech machinery like I first thought because this experimenting is all about improvising with the best materials at hand, if the need arises...say, for instance, you happen to get yourself stranded on an island. You would need to know if sand was a reliable filter so you could turn that silty water around into something drinkable. Just an example. It's not like I'm hoping someone will get stuck in the middle of nowhere just so they'll get a chance to test out my experiment for themselves...

Well, that was sufficiently strugglesome. All I'm hoping for now is that my constant changes of mind will actually add up to something - like results. Right, I will probably write something more in about a week. Hopefully I'll be beginning my experiment by then, which will be the cause of my writing that future blog in the first place. Until then...

Climatic graph

DO PLANTS GROW BETTER IN GREEN, BLUE OR RED LIGHT?

The theme for my new experiment is measuring plant growth in three different coloured lights. This duration of the test is approximately 3 weeks. It requires a minimum number of materials and will actually prove something, I'm fairly certain. Yes, I know, this is my third change of heart. The other two were just ideas, very complex ideas, unachievable ideas at that. This one has heaps less to think (or worry) about, clear and identifiable variables, and is within the required time period.

The new method is;

Aim: To investigate the effect of different coloured light on plant growth.

Hypothesis: That green light will have the least influence over the growth of plant.

Materials:

• three small cardboard boxes


• three seeds of the same plant
  
• three identical lamps


• three identical flowerpots


• three pieces of celophane - green, red, blue
  

Method;

1. Fill pots with same amount of soil and fertiliser.
   
2. Plant the seeds.


3. Cover the light bulb of each of the lamps with a sheet of celophane.


4. Arrange the lamps safely inside the boxes, upright and not touching the sides.


5. Place the pots inside the boxes, under each of the lamps.


6. Switch them on and set aside.


7. Record the results after 3 weeks.

Hi

I apologise for yet another change of mind, but this one will be the last mostly because this is my last chance to change it.
I got a hint that my last aim was far too complicated and frankly i agree. So now I will be testing different methods of water filtering such as clay, sand, fine sieve and iodine.

My aim is To investigate various methods of filtering unclean water

My hypothesis (which obviously needs more work) is That iodine will purify the water of germs but will not remove particles larger than microscopic.

Um, my materials I think will be clay, sand, iodine and a fine sieve for now but I will research other materials theoretically used for water filteration, beakers and an apparatus that will hold up the filtering equipment while the water passes through. Oh, and something like an ultra sensitive microscope to look at the filtered water.