E-Database of Science, June, 1999

The National Student Research Center

E-Journal of Student Research: Science

Volume 7, Number 5, June, 1999

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The National Student Research Center is dedicated to promoting student research and the use of the scientific method in all subject areas across the curriculum, especially science and math.

For more information contact:

John I. Swang, Ph.D.

Founder/Director

National Student Research Center

2024 Livingston Street

Mandeville, Louisiana 70448

U.S.A.

E-Mail: nsrcmms@communique.net

http://youth.net/nsrc/nsrc.html

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Heating Water With Solar Energy
2. Building Better Concrete Blocks With Plastic
3. Does Music Help Plants Grow?
4. Will Spaghetti Cook Faster With or Without Salt?
5. Which Does Pacey Like Better - Plain Seed Or A Berry Mixture?
6. Does The Size Of The Lemon Affect The Number of Seeds It Has?
7. Which Chocolate Bar Melts Fastest In The Sun
8. Does Pop Lose Its Fizz Faster In A Fridge Or In Room Temperature?
9. Which Candy Bar Melts Faster I?
10. Which Candy Bar Melts Faster II?

TITLE:  Heating Water With Solar Energy

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Stephanie Burnley
SCHOOL:  Franklin-Simpson Middle School
         P. O. Box 637
         Franklin, KY 42135
GRADE:  7th
TEACHER:  Mary Rachel Cothern


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

My purpose was to discover if, by using solar energy, I could 
efficiently heat water and keep it warm.  I wanted to do this 
project because my family wanted to get a hot tub, but we did 
not want to pay for the monthly hot water
heater bills.  I thought that the solar hot water heater would 
work properly if built accurately and to a scale.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

I tested my hypothesis by actually building a replica solar hot 
tub.  Everyday I sat it out in the sun and observed the effects 
of solar energy. 

I controlled the variables in my project by checking the water 
temperature at the same time every day, using the same water 
every day, setting the hot water heater in the same spot every 
day.  The weather was the variable that did not remain the same 
from day to day.

When I began my experiment I went to Homestead and bought all of 
my supplies; insulation, copper tubing, black metal, glass, and 
a pump. (I already had a plastic tub.) I constructed my solar 
panel by nailing together four pieces of wood to make a box.  I 
slid a sheet of black metal and two sheets of glass into grooves 
that had previously been cut in the sides of the box.  I added a 
layer of insulation under the metal to hold heat in the solar 
panel.  Copper tubing was placed inside of it to hold the water 
and it ran down into my tub.  My tub was covered in styrofoam to 
insulate it.  A small pump was sat in the tub at the bottom of 
the tubes to circulate water 
through them.  Cold water was then poured into my tub and the 
temperature of it checked.  I also checked the water temperature 
everyday for one week at designated times to see how it was 
working.  Then I recorded my results.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

I gathered from this project that on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, 
Saturday, and Sunday my water got hotter than on the other days.  
On all of these days the water temperature reached 120° F. or 
above.  The temperatures for the other days were 92°, 94°, and 
104°.  On most days, the time that the water reached the highest 
temperature was at 2:30 PM.  Two out of the eight days that I  
conducted my experiment, the thermometer read 125+ °.  This was 
because the numbers on my thermometer only went up to 125°, but 
the mercury inside was up above that point.

I had three different charts and graphs.  My chart showed the 
temperatures for every day at each of the five times I checked 
the temperature of the water.  It also showed the high 
temperature for each day.  My line graph showed the temperatures 
of a typical day at each of the designated times.  The bar graph 
showed the high temperature for each of the eight days.  My data 
adequately showed that my hypothesis was right and that solar 
energy did work.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

I found that the temperature of the water in my solar hot tub 
reached the highest on days that the sun was shining the 
brightest.  It really doesn't matter if it is warm or cool 
outside when dealing with solar energy, but how brightly the sun 
is shining.  Some of the days that the water reached the highest 
temperature, it was very cold outside.  This is how solar energy 
can work in the winter as well as the summer.  Of course, in the 
winter the temperature outside will have some effect on the 
temperature of the water, but not enough to make a drastic 
change in it.  I also concluded that since I used a scale to 
build my model, solar energy could also be used to heat an 
actual size hot tub.

V.  APPLICATION:

By using the knowledge I learned from this project, I now know 
that solar energy can be used for almost anything in real-life.  
Whether you want to use it for the same reason that I did, to 
heat a hot tub and to save money, or for your own reason, solar 
energy can be used.  Not only can solar energy be used to heat 
water; it can also be used to heat air.  There are lots of very 
good informative books out there that can teach you everything 
you need to know about, if you have never dealt with solar 
energy.  One more plus to solar energy is that it is a resource 
that can be used for almost anything and it has an unlimited 
supply.



TITLE:  Building Better Concrete Blocks With Plastic

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Steven Lopez
SCHOOL:  Franklin-Simpson Middle
         P.O. BOX 637
         Franklin, Ky. 42135
GRADE:  7
TEACHER:  Mary Rachel Cothern

I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

Can plastics be recycled into concrete blocks to help the 
environment?  My hypothesis is that we can recycle plastics into 
concrete blocks and therefore help the concrete not weather as 
quickly.  My reasoning behind my hypothesis is that plastics do 
not weather as quickly as concrete.  My second hypothesis is 
that the 50-50 concrete block will last longer than the other 
two concrete blocks that I am preparing.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

Here's a look at the materials I used for my experiment: 
Quikrete (concrete mix), 7 plastic pellets, forms, weather, and 
water.  I controlled my variables by doing the same exact thing 
to each concrete block.  I made them all on the same day, let 
them cure for the same amount of time, and placed them outside 
at the same time.  I also took pictures of each block regularly.  
Lastly, I brought each block in at the same time and ran water 
over them for a week.  

Here is how I tested my hypothesis.  First, I purchased Quikrete 
to make concrete blocks.  Next, I got plastic pellets from 
Southern Recycling.  The third thing I did was to get forms in 
which to pour the cement.  I added water to the Quikrete to make 
a solid concrete block. After this, I poured the cement into a 
form.  This made up the plain concrete block. 

I added water to some more Quikrete and also added several 
plastic pellets.  Then I poured the mixture into the form. This 
made up the 50-50 concrete block. 

This time, I added water to the Quikrete and added half the 
amount of plastic pellets as  in the 50-50 concrete block. 
Afterward, I poured this mixture into its form. This made up the 
25-75 concrete block. 

Finally, I set the blocks outside against the wall of my house, 
on a screened-in porch in order for them to dry and cure.  When 
the concrete blocks dried and cured I took them out of their 
individual forms and set them outside in the rain.  In the end, 
I recorded the results.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

For my data I took pictures of the concrete blocks every two 
weeks.  I took these pictures over a ten weeks period.

First week:

I observed that the plain concrete block was showing no signs of 
erosion The 25-75 concrete block was showing no signs of erosion 
either. The 50-50 concrete block was cracked slightly through 
the middle.

Second week:

The plain concrete block was still showing no signs of erosion. 
The 25-75 concrete block was also showing no sign of erosion. 
The 50-50 block was still slightly cracked through the middle.

3rd week:

The plain concrete block was now starting to show slight signs 
of erosion. Next, the 25-75 concrete block was still showing no 
signs whatsoever of erosion, besides the occasional loss of a 
single plastic pellet The crack in the 50-50 concrete block was 
beginning to enlarge.

4th week:

The plain concrete block was now beginning to show more signs of 
weathering. The 25-75 concrete block was still managing to keep 
its form. Finally, what I have been waiting for to happen to the 
50-50 concrete block happened It cracked all the way through the 
middle.

5th week:

The plain concrete block is still showing signs of erosion. 
Although the 25-75 concrete block is still going strong. The 50-
50 concrete block, has completely cracked through the middle The 
two separate pieces have also moved apart from each other 
slightly.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

I began my project on September 2, 1998.  It was three months 
and a week when the project was completed in its entirety.  
Here's some extra information. 

October 4, 1998

     The 50-5Q concrete block cracked through the middle.

October 4, 1998

     The solid concrete block began its slight erosion.

Three month period

     The 25-75 block showed no signs of erosion. 

I thought that the 50-50 concrete block would not erode as 
quickly.  My hypothesis proved to be false.  Surprisingly to me, 
the 25- 75 concrete block was the most resistant to the weather.  
I learned that using concrete blocks made of 25% plastic pellets 
and 75% concrete retards erosion better than the standard 
concrete block.  This will now be a way to recycle plastics if 
the construction industry considered this type of concrete 
block.

I feel, from what I have observed throughout the project, that 
too much plastic in concrete blocks will cause them to separate.  
Solid concrete does erode, bit by bit over a period months.  
This amount of erosion over three months is not that much, but 
if it were the outside wall of a building and the building was 
up for several years the block's erosion could be extensive.  

V.  APPLICATION:

The main way to use the information that I have collected from 
my experiment in real life is in the field of construction.  If 
contractors looked into my type of concrete block, construction 
with this type of block would be more durable.  Contractors 
would have a concrete block that is weather resistant, improving 
their buildings.  Using this type of concrete block would also 
reduce the amount of plastics going into landfills.  Plastics do 
not decompose as quickly as other materials.  Plastics also 
makes up a major part of the wastes that are thrown away daily.  
So hopefully my experiment will greatly improve the conditions 
of the environment and the quality of concrete blocks.



TITLE:  Does Music Help Plants Grow? 

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Elizabeth Marie Chin 
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  Shell Creek Elementary
                 1205 98th Street 
                 Columbus, NE 68601  
GRADE:  8 
TEACHER:  Anita Long


I.  Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis

My hypothesis is that classical music will help the plants to 
grow.  I also believe that the plants that listen to country 
will have their growth stunted.

II.  Methodology

Materials:

   Nine small plastic yogurt containers
   Twenty-seven bush bean seeds
   Potting soil
   Measuring cup
   Water
   Country music CD or cassette
   Classical CD or cassette

Plant three seeds in each yogurt container after filling them 
almost up to the top with potting soil.  Place the seeds just a 
little bit below the surface.  Water the plants with 1/4 cup of 
water.  Put all nine containers in a spot by a window.  Take the 
plants away from the window at 4:00 P.M. everyday.  Place the 
controls in a room where the music that the other six plants are 
listening to can not be heard.  The three plants that listened 
to country music listened to Garth Brooks or Faith Hill and the 
Classical plants listened to Lorie Line and Mendelssohn for an 
hour each day.  Record the growth of each plant each night 
around 9:00.  Since there had three of each kind of plant, this 
fulfills the minimum number of trials: three.  Let each plant 
grow for two whole weeks.  Then find out the total growth of the 
plants.

III.  Analysis of Data

My charts showed that, after two weeks of growth, two of the 
country music plants were doing the best by far.  The other 
plant did not come up until the last day.  My hypothesis was 
half right.  The classical plants, on average, did better than 
the country music plants, but the control did the best on 
average than any of them.

IV.  Summary and Conclusion

I found out that the control did the best, then the classical, 
and last of all the country.  This led me to reject my 
hypothesis.  It wasn't an entirely controlled experiment because 
a few times I forgot to play the music, but had to make it up 
the next day.

V.  Application

My research could apply to the real world, because it could help 
farmers produce crops faster.  For further research, instead of 
plants, use your brain.  Does music help it to learn?  Some 
studies have already been started on the effects of classical 
music on the brain.  It regenerates brain cells.



TITLE:  Will Spaghetti Cook Faster With or Without Salt? 

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Jenna Lehman 
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  Shell Creek Elementary
                 1205 98th Street 
                 Columbus, NE 68601  
GRADE:  8 
TEACHER:  Anita Long


I.  Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis

After completing this experiment, I would like to have found out 
whether spaghetti cooks faster with or without salt.  My 
hypothesis is that adding salt will not make a difference in the 
amount of time it takes to cook spaghetti.

II.  Methodology

Materials:

   1. two three quart sauce pans (one for the experimental and 
      another for the control)
   2. one ten ounce package of spaghetti noodles
   3. three teaspoons of salt
   4. one knife
   5. two plates

Procedure:

   1. fill each pan with two quarts of water
   2. bring the water to a boil
   3. turn both burners on the stove to medium
   4. break the noodles in half
   5. place twenty noodle halves in each pan
   6. allow the noodles seven minutes to cook before starting to 
      check them
   7. using thirty second intervals, check the noodles by 
      removing one noodle from each pan and cutting it in half
   8. record the time and whether or not the noodle was done
   9. repeat steps one through eight for the following trials of 
      the experiment

III.  Analysis of Data

After conducting this experiment three times I have concluded 
that it takes spaghetti eleven minutes to cook, with or without 
salt.  My hypothesis was right because it stated basically that 
the salt would not make a difference.

IV.  Summary and Conclusion

Through this experiment, I found out that the amount of salt 
added to the water that spaghetti is cooking in does not make a 
difference in the spaghetti's cooking time. This data led me to 
accept my hypothesis because it told me that both pans of 
spaghetti took the same amount of time to cook. 

V.  Application

This data and information could help you if you wanted to cook a 
meal and you think if you add a lot of salt the spaghetti will 
be done faster.  For further research, you could find out if the 
amount of salt you put in affects the spaghetti's flavor.



TITLE:  Which Does Pacey Like Better - Plain Seed Or A Berry 
        Mixture?

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Melissa Sempek
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  Shell Creek Elementary
                 1205 98th Street 
                 Columbus, NE 68601  
GRADE:  8 
TEACHER:  Anita Long


I.  Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis

I'm going to see which seed my pet parakeet, Pacey, prefers most 
- plain seed or a more expensive berry mixture.  I'm 
hypothesizing that he will prefer the berry mixture.

II.  Methodology

Fill two cups that are the same size with seed.  Fill one with 
the berry mixture and the other with the plain seed.
Leave the seed in the cage for exactly 12 hours.  When the time 
is up compare the amounts from the time you put it in to the 
time you took it out.  Do this on five different days to ensure 
that you come to the right conclusion.

III.  Analysis of Data

My data and charts showed that Pacey preferred the plain seed on 
each of the 5 days I tested him.  He ate half of the plain seed 
and only 25% of the berry mixture.

IV.  Summary and Conclusion

Pacey preferred the plain mixture more.  I had hypothesized 
wrong.

V.  Application

You could use this if you found a bird and didn't know what it 
liked best.  My bird appears healthy, so I suppose that the 
plain seed is a good diet for him to be on.



TITLE:  Does The Size Of The Lemon Affect The Number of Seeds It 
        Has?

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Kaitlin O'Connor
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  Shell Creek Elementary
                 1205 98th Street 
                 Columbus, NE 68601  
GRADE:  8 
TEACHER:  Anita Long


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:

I wanted to find out if the size of the lemon affects the number 
of seeds it had.  From the information I gathered, I hypothesized
that the larger the lemon, the more seeds it has.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

Materials: 1 cutting board, 1 sharp knife, 1 citrus juicer, 1 
pad of paper, 1 pen or pencil, 1 juice strainer, 1 drinking 
glass, 3 different kinds of lemons (in this case I used a 
Lisbon for my small lemon, a Butwal for my medium lemon, and 
a Ponderosa for my large lemon).  You need 3 lemons of each 
kind to run the experiment more than once.  

The control in this experiment was that every fruit was a lemon, 
not another citrus fruit.

Procedure:

1. Cut a lemon into halves using the sharp knife on the cutting 
board.

2. Juice each half of the lemon making sure each seed stays 
within the juicer.

3. Strain the juice over the drinking glass making sure each 
seed stays in the strainer.

4. Count each seed.  If there are halves of seeds still 
uncounted, put two halves together and only count as one seed.  
Also, be sure to count every seed, no matter how deformed or 
misshapen, because nature doesn't make each seed perfect.

5. Mark the number of seeds for each lemon on a chart using your 
pencil and pad of paper.

6. Repeat steps one through five with each lemon until all nine 
lemons have been cut and their seeds counted and marked.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

At the end of my experiment, I had discovered that Lisbon lemons 
(the small lemons) had an average of 14 seeds, but can range 
anywhere from 11 - 18 seeds as the three trials proved.  Also, 
Butwal (the medium lemons) had O seeds.  In all three trials, no 
seeds could be found.  Ponderosa (the large lemons) have about 
16 seeds on average, but they range from 12 to 20 seeds and are 
much the same in seed count as the Lisbons.  I also measured the 
thickness of the skins in all the lemons just to give an idea of 
their sizes and how they vary from lemon to lemon.  The average 
thickness of the skin in the Lisbon lemons is 4 mm, but ranges 
anywhere from 1-5 mm.  The Butwal lemons are about 7.5 mm thick, 
but can range from 6 mm to 10 mm as I discovered in my three 
trials.  Finally, the Ponderosa lemons or the larger lemons have 
a very thick skin averaging at around 10 mm or 1 cm thick.  The 
Ponderosa lemons have such a thick skin that cutting into them 
is difficult at times.

IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

From my experiment, I found out that the size of the lemon does, 
in some way, affect the number of seeds it has.  The small and 
large lemons may have the same amount of seeds on average, but 
the medium lemons have little or no seeds at all.  This tells me 
that my hypothesis of 'the bigger the lemon, the more seeds it 
has' is wrong because the Butwal lemon, which is larger than the 
Lisbon lemon, had less seeds than the Lisbon.  And the Lisbon 
lemon had the about the same amount of seeds as the Ponderosa 
even though it is much smaller.

V. APPLICATION:

I think that growing more Butwal lemons could help struggling 
citrus plantations improve their lemon sales, because people 
would buy more lemons to make lemonade if they had less seeds.  
Also, many juicing companies would buy more of the plantation's 
lemons to make lemon-ace to sell to the public, increasing the 
sales even more if the lemons had less seeds.



TITLE:  Which Chocolate Bar Melts Fastest In The Sun

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Ryan Widhalm 
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  Shell Creek Elementary
                 1205 98th Street 
                 Columbus, NE 68601  
GRADE:  8 
TEACHER:  Anita Long


I.  Statement of Purpose and Hypothesis

I want to find out which chocolate bar melts fastest in the sun.  
I am using Hersheys, Twix, and Snickers.  I hypothesize that 
Hersheys will melt faster than Twix or Snickers because it is 
pure chocolate.  Then Twix because they are the smallest.  Last, 
I think Snickers will melt the slowest of all because it is 
bigger than Twix and has peanuts.

II.  Methodology

I tested my hypothesis by putting each chocolate bar in the sun 
on a windowsill and timing how long it took to melt.  I used 
Snickers, Twix, and Hersheys.

III.   Analysis of Data

My hypothesis was entirely correct.  The Hersheys melted in 
4:53, 8:57, and 11:48.  Twix melted in 13:29, 14:06, and 15:43. 
The Snickers melted in 18:15, 19:52, and
21:43.

IV.  Sumary and Conclusion

My hypothesis was exactly and entirely right.

V.  Application

This experiment could help mankind because it could tell stores 
which candy bars they can leave outside the longest.  If you do 
this with different candy they could make candy that doesn't 
melt very fast at all.



TITLE:  Does Pop Lose Its Fizz Faster In A Fridge Or In Room 
        Temperature?

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Megan Marie Burlingame 
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  St. Theresa's School
                 5815 Carpenter Ave. 
                 Des Moines, IA  50311
GRADE:  7
TEACHER:  Mrs. Considine


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS: 

I want to know if pop loses its fizz faster in a fridge or in 
room temperature?  My hypothesis is that the one in the room 
temperature will probably lose its fizz faster.  I think this 
because the pop in the fridge will probably keep fresher than 
the one at room temperature because of the heat in the room.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

The glasses I put the pop in were both the same size and same 
kind.  I filled them so they were the same amount.  I used 
Pepsi.

I tested my hypothesis by putting one glass of pop in room 
temperature and one in the fridge.  I checked them every 10 
minuets for an hour by taking a sip.  

The control variables are the size of the glasses, the kind of 
pop, and the amount of pop in each glass.  The manipulated 
variable is the temperature that I put the glasses of pop in.  
The responding variable is the amount of fizz lost.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

I took a sip of pop from the fridge and from the room 
temperature pop every ten minuets for an hour.  I wrote down my 
observations.  After ten minuets, there was a lot of fizz in 
both.  After twenty minuets, it was the same.  After thirty 
minuets, the fridge pop went down a little bit.  After forty 
minuets, they both went down a little.  After fifty minuets, the 
room temperature pop stayed the same and fridge pop went down to 
little fizz.  After sixty minuets, the fridge pop went between 
little fizz and no fizz while the room temperature pop went to 
no fizz.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

I found out that after sixty minuets the room temperature pop 
lost its fizz faster than the fridge pop.  This supports my 
hypothesis.  This was only for an hour, so if you did it longer 
it would most likely be different. 

V.  APPLICATION:

If you put something out side in the winter and put the same 
thing inside the heated house, it would probably stay fresher 
outside.  It can help people have fizz in their pop if they keep 
it in the fridge and not in room temperature.  It would also 
keep it fresher. 



TITLE:  Which Candy Bar Melts Faster I?

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Kristyna Solawetz 
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  St. Theresa's School
                 5815 Carpenter Ave. 
                 Des Moines, IA  50311
GRADE:  7
TEACHER:  Mrs. Considine


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS: 

I wanted to find out which candy bar melts the fastest.  My 
hypothesis states that Hershey's Milk Chocolate candy bar will 
melt before other candy bars because it has the most fat and it 
seems to melt a lot in your hand when you are eating it.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

The four types of candy bars to be tested were York Peppermint 
Pattie, Pay Day, Hershey's Cookies 'N' Cream, and Hershey's Milk 
Chocolate.

For my experiment, I will put all four next to each other.  They 
will be under a heat lamp so the direction of heat will stay the 
same and consistent.  I will check them to see the progress they 
have made every five minutes and after 15 minutes I'll check 
every two.  Then I will repeat these steps to see if the time 
for melting was about the same.

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

After I got through the first 15 minutes, I saw that the Cookies 
'N' Cream was about melted so I decided to watch every minute.  
It ended up in the first trial that Cookies 'N' Cream melted 
fastest with a time of 16 minutes.  The slowest was the Pay Day 
(only the caramel melted while the peanuts held the candy bar 
together).  The time for the Pay Day was 49 minutes.  The York 
Peppermint Patties melted in 41 minutes.  The Hershey's Milk 
Chocolate bar melted in 48 minutes. 

The second trial was basically the same, but slightly varied. I 
think this might have been because of the second group of candy 
bars was sitting in room temperature during the first trial. (I 
had kept them in the refrigerator so they wouldn't melt before I 
started the first trial.) 

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

Overall Cookies 'N' Cream melted the fastest.  I rejected my 
hypothesis.



TITLE:  Which Candy Bar Melts Faster II?

STUDENT RESEARCHER:  Jessie Burlingame
SCHOOL ADDRESS:  St. Theresa's School
                 5815 Carpenter Ave. 
                 Des Moines, IA  50311
GRADE:  7
TEACHER:  Mrs. Considine


I.  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS: 

I wanted to know which candy bar melts the fastest.  I used some 
miniature candy bars such as a Butterfinger, Snicker, Rolo, and 
a Hershey's chocolate bar.  My first hypothesis was that the 
Snicker would melt the fastest.  My second hypothesis was that 
the Rolo would melt next because of it's shape.

II.  METHODOLOGY:

I tested my hypothesis by first collecting the candy, then 
putting them on a paper plate in the sun.  The total items I 
used were a Butterfinger, Snicker, Rolo, Hershey's chocolate 
bar, a paper plate, and the sun.  The temperature was 86 degrees 
outside.

My control variables were the size and weight of the different 
candies.  I used four bite size chocolate candies to see which 
one would melt fastest.  

III.  ANALYSIS OF DATA:

The Hershey's Chocolate melted the fastest.  It melted in 15 
minutes. I was unable to record the Chocolate Rolo candy because 
I went inside to get a piece of paper and when I came back out 
it was missing!  The Snickers melted in 18 minutes.  The 
Butterfinger melted in 20 minutes.  The reason I think the 
Butterfinger melted last was because it has a solid filling.

IV.  SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

I rejected my first hypothesis because the Hershey's Chocolate 
bar melted first.  I could not accept or reject my second 
hypothesis because the Rolo candy was missing.

V.  APPLICATION:

This information can help in the real world today.  Let's say 
needed some candy for an up-coming event.  You need to know how 
long you can have the candy in a certain temperature before it 
melts.  My research can help you.