LB: Final Experiment Results

LB: Final Experiment Results

Date: 11 July 2012

Time: 4pm-7pm

Room temperature: 27°C

Weather: Sunny

For this final experiment, instead of slowly measuring each GRB's volume, I only measured 2 GRB and extrapolated the volume of other GRB from their mass, Also, instead of first setting the mass of a GRB, shaping it then calculating its surface area, I set the shape (volume and surface area) then recorded the mass to save time. 

Figure 1 shows that the density of almost all GRB decreased, possibly until lower than the water's density, hence floating. The time taken to float was proportional to an increase in size and the percentage change in density usually inversely so.

From figure 2, the variable with the strongest correlation to both time taken and change in density was surface area before cooking. It has a strong (near 1) positive correlation with time, making it very likely that if surface area is increased, time taken can be found to have increased proportionally.

Figure 3 is a graphical representation of the correlation factors, with a majority of points near the trend line in graphs representing variables with high correlation, figures 3.1 (correl:0.92) and 3.2 (correl:0.89), but not so in figure 3.3, with weakly correlating variables (correl:0.23). However, points in figure 3.2 are still further away than points in figure 3.1.


In conclusion, my hypothesis was that the higher the surface area to volume ratio of the GRB, the faster it would float, with the assumption that the process of cooking cause GRB to expand. This expansion decreased the density of GRB to lower than water, and a higher SA:V results in a faster rate of heat absorption by the GRB. Hence, the process of cooking is also faster, and the properties of cooked GRB, including expansion, would be exhibited faster as well.


My results do demonstrate a general decrease in density as well as an inverse relationship between surface area to volume ratio and time to floating, however, the relationship between surface area alone to floating time is actually stronger.


Edit 25/7: The completed report is now uploaded.