Science stuff

So I was doing some research on what we could do for a biology/chemistry project, and I came up with these four ideas... I have to admit I'm a little fond of the crystal-making idea. I did that when I was homeschooled as a kid and it was SO cool!

I'm just not sure if I can justify it as an experiment following too closely to the steps of the scientific method!

Anyway, here are the ideas. I'd love a little feedback on what YOU think would be most interesting to present to a college class.... Thanks :-)

• Do the same types of mold grow on all types of bread? Are certain preservativies better at inhibiting dangerous molds than others?
• Mold grows fast – easily measurable by color
• Easily researched – dangerous or harmless?
• Gets attention – Mike could even take cool up-close pictures J
• Leads to productive results, like studying preservativies

• How permanent are permanent markers? What solvents (e.g., water, alcohol, vinegar, detergent solution) will remove the ink? Do different brands/types of markers produce the same results?
• Easy to experiment by changing many different variables and discovering if the markers are truly as good as they say they are
• Kind of like “we try it, before you buy it”
• Could easily bring in all of the findings and a chart to exhibit before the class

• Are all potato chips equally greasy (you can crush them to get uniform samples and look at the diameter of a grease spot on brown paper)? Is greasiness different if different oils are used (e.g., peanut versus soybean)?
• Not a hard experiment, but interesting
• Help teach people about what to look for in order to be more healthy (even in the midst of their unhealthy food choices)

• We could grow our own crystals

That’d be kind of an adventure… Check out this website to see how many different kinds there are! http://chemistry.about.com/od/growingcrystals/tp/quickcrystals.htm