hi

started my experiment! i have some results but i still need to repeat the experiment so i get a wider range of results, and so i test the validity of the previous results. all went well i suppose although i did spill half the water i was supposed to pour into my water filter.

here are some pictures...(above)

To start, as I may have already mentioned, my aim for this experiment was to investigate different filtering mediums and their effectiveness in removing sediment from water. I thought that the denser the medium, the more sediment removed. Makes sense, right?

So I set up my filters using 6 plastic bottles and some gauze. I filled them in with sand, activated charcoal, mulch, filter paper and cotton and left one empty for a control.

The results were not surprising but I still waited in anticipation to see what the water would look like as it filtered through. the charcoal left the water crystal clear, an absolutely dirt free zone. It was so cool. Next, the sand did a pretty awesome job too, although the water looked a bit like heavily diluted juice. the mulch and the control were horrendous, I really couldn't tell the difference between the before and after. the filter paper and the cotton filters did an okay job, although i certainly wouldn't drink their water.

I did some research and it told me that charcoal was activated by exposure to high temperatures in an absence of oxygen, which created tiny pores and drastically enlarging the surface area. Now, wait for this... 1\2 kilo of activated charcoal provides 50 HECTARES of surface. Isn't that amazing? No wonder the water was so clean. Charcoal can do wonders. And it'

s ironic because charcoal itself is black, pitch black.

I could have done better on controlling some variables, like the thickness of the mediums. If i had thought out the process more thoroughly i could have got it over with a lot more quickly and efficiently. I had a bit of trouble figuring out exactly how to measure the quantities of sediment. Eventually I just had to repeat the experiment over again until i got a substantial and quantifiable amount of sediment. Enough that a simple set of kitchen scales could measure. even then the end results were milligrams; it was a very precise set of scales, you know, i should have put it into acknowledgements...

Anyway, now it's over and done and I have nothing in life to spur me on...

Kidding!

I am indescribably happy that this is finished..almost. I still have to do a poster.

No...I did learn some stuff that no doubt will be useful to me in the future but, really? I don't ever want to think about this again.

I tried coming up with a really elaborate farewell but i don't have time to write it all because I've got better things to do and all I can say is

Goodbye, I hope you aspiring scientists learnt something from my mistakes - don't do an SRP if you can possibly help it.