2018-2019 Science Fair

Assess how you conducted your experiment.

● Please move this document to your s​ hared Biology folder.

● To complete this, you will need to refer to your project proposal.
● After you answer all the questions, remember to ​submit the document in Canvas​.

Sample size
1. Below, put what you planned for sample size and/or repeated measures (#8 in experimental proposal).
Kevlar, carbon fiber, strand of hair, cotton string, spider silk. I said the number of times I would test
would depend on how much of the material I was able to get my hands on.

2. Below, put the actual sample size and/or repeated measures you completed by the deadline (February
5).
Hair, steel wool, fiberglass, copper wire, carbon fiber, spider silk, and silk strands (from silk material). I
tested each material 3 times, except the steel wool which I tested 5 times.

3. If there are differences between your initial plan and what you completed by the deadline, explain
a) why they are different, and
b) what you could have done differently to reach your goal on time.
They are different because I was unable to get a hold of some of the materials that I initially planned for.
When I talked to my dad about what materials I was testing, he was able to come up with other potential
materials for me to test (that were stronger/more comparable to spider silk than just cotton and hair).
I completely overestimated the amount of time I had. I didn’t do any testing during break. Once excursion
started I tried contacting Ms. Jimenez a few times and decided I would start testing once I got a response.
I didn’t get a response and then I had 2 weeks left. I started testing when I had about one week left. I
ended up reaching my goal on time but I would’ve been less stressed if I hadn’t procrastinated as much.

Procedure
4. Below, paste a copy of your planned steps from your project proposal (#15).
1. Be clear and detailed on each step of your planned procedure.
If you are using parts of a protocol you found in your research, you need to cite it (APA parenthetical
citation) as well.
● I will super glue one end of the fiber (hair, cotton string, spider silk, kevlar, carbon fiber) to a binder clip
● Using the Vernier Caliper, I will measure the diameter of each fiber
● I will attach the other end to a holdable object and have someone hold onto it
● The paperclip will be hooked onto the hook of the dual range force sensor so I can measure the force
○ I will start collecting the data at 50 samples/sec and the duration at 10 (?) seconds
● I will pull the sensor while someone is holding onto the other end of the fiber until the fiber snaps.
○ Collect the maximum force.
 ○ Repeat this 3 times per each fiber.
○ Find the average of each fiber and compare the data.
● ***I will take photos or video screenshots of project at key steps.
5. Carefully look over your initial plans. In a numbered or bullet-pointed list below,
a) identify in detail things you actually did differently, and
b) explain why you made each change.
● I measured the diameter of the materials with a micrometer
○ because the micrometer was more exact than the Vernier Caliper.

Variables
6. In your proposal, find your standardized (#8) and extraneous variables (#10) and list them in the table
below.
Standardized variables Extraneous variables

● Make sure it’s the same type of silk (dragline ● The spider might make stronger/weaker silk
silk) genetically
● Make sure the spider silk is from the same
species/spider
● Make sure temperature, humidity, wind etc. is
the same throughout testing
● Make sure the data is standardized so I can
compare it with the other materials

7. Standardized variable review:

Did you successfully standardize all the variables you planned to?
If not, explain why not.
I could not standardize the type of spider silk or species that it came from. The spider silk was extremely
hard to collect, measure, and test so I just took what I was able to get.

8. Extraneous variable review:

Were there other factors (that you did not originally list) that you think could have affected your results?
Identify them and explain your answer.
Not really because because I standardized the results and that makes me able to compare it with other
materials. Another extraneous variable might be that the force sensor might have not been exact.

Impact on Results
9. Think about all the ways the implementation of your experiment differed from your initial plans (your
answers to questions above).
Discuss how these changes may make your project stronger and/or make it weaker (i.e. make your
results more reliable or less reliable).
My results were more reliable because I was more exact with measuring the diameter. I also tested more
materials than I originally planned so I have more data to compare the spider silk to.

Reflection on learning
In August, y’all shared your thoughts on what the point of school is. Many of your responses involved
building skills. You may recognize some of them in this list below, which has a few of my top priorities for
skills to build in this class.

10. Read over the skills and indicate with a comment where you feel you are with each, at this point in the
year.

I think I have I’m making progress. I’m struggling: I see This is a very weak
very strong I feel pretty good some improvement area for me. I don’t feel
skills in this about it. but it’s really hard. I’ve improved at all.

Design X
experiments I feel pretty good
about this, although
I did have some help
designing this
experiment

Manage​ time & X

long term work I think I’m more or
less in the same
spot right now as I
was when I started
this school year

Work​ ​well X
independently: I’ve always
with focus, been able to
self-reliance, & work well
initiative individually
and I don’t
think that
has changed

Own ​your own X

learning: take I feel like I
responsibility for have gotten a
your work; lot better at
know when you speaking up
need help and when I have
ask for it. a question or
need help