
Caffeine, Darts, and Alertness
Medium
Can a cup of coffee improve your aim? You set up a board of 12 balloons and give 20 participants 12 darts each. They throw from 5 meters away and you count the balloons they burst.
Then each person drinks a large cup of caffeinated coffee and waits 30 minutes. They throw again at a fresh set of balloons from the same distance.
You compare the before-and-after scores to see whether caffeine boosts hand-eye coordination and alertness.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis is that coffee which contains caffeine will make the person more alert and energetic, resulting in the participant being able to burst more balloons.
Method & Materials
You will arrange balloons on a board, have participants burst them with darts from a distance, have them drink coffee, and then have them burst more balloons with darts.
You will need 480 balloons, 12 darts, a soft board, masking tape, 10 male and 10 female adults, and 20 cups of caffeinated coffee.
Results
The results showed that the participants became more alert after drinking the caffeinated coffee, and were able to burst more balloons. This proved the hypothesis to be true.
Why do this project?
This science project is interesting because it tests the effects of caffeine on alertness in a fun and engaging way.
Also Consider
Experiment variations could include substituting the caffeinated coffee with a caffeinated soft drink, or testing the effects of caffeine on a different activity such as a computer game, throwing balls into a pail, or bowling.
Full project details
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