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Dermatology Science Fair Project

Testing Sunscreen Protection

Hard
Testing Sunscreen Protection | Science Fair Projects | STEM Projects
We're testing the effectiveness of sunscreen against UV light by using bacteria as a substitute for human skin. We'll measure the percent survival of the bacteria to see how well the sunscreen works.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis is that sunscreens with higher SPF values provide greater protection.

Method & Materials

You will inoculate Petri dishes with bacteria, cover them with Saran wrap and sunscreen, and then expose them to UV light. After two weeks, you will perform a colony count of the bacteria that survived the exposure to the UV light.
You will need Escherichia coli, Petri dishes, Saran wrap, sunscreen, aluminum foil, a UV lamp, and a hockey stick.

Results

The results of the experiment showed that the sunscreen was effective in protecting the bacteria from the UV light. The sunscreen with the higher SPF value provided greater protection.

Why do this project?

This science project is interesting and unique because it uses bacteria as a substitute for human skin to test the efficacy of sunscreen.

Also Consider

Variations to consider include testing different brands of sunscreen and testing the duration of exposure for different brands.

Full project details

You can find additional information and details for this science fair project here. Have fun exploring!
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