Does Bacteria Affect The Rusting Process Science Fair Project
Bacteria play a very important role in the decomposition of organic materials. This simple observation leads the inquisitive mind to wonder if it also plays a role in the decomposition of inorganic materials, such as metals. In this science fair project students will be exploring the decomposition properties of bacteria to see if it impacts both organic and inorganic materials.
Hypothesis
The hypothesis for this science fair project is that bacteria speed up the rusting process. The dependent variable in this hypothesis is the rusting rate and the independent variable is the presence of absence of bacteria.
Supplies Needed
To complete this experiment students will need at least two pieces of iron, a bacteria sample, an anti-bacterial solution and a digital camera. Students will also need to create data collection sheets. These sheets will have spaces for the date, the test number and a description of the rust stage.
The Experiment
There are two experiments that need to be set up. The first experiment is the control test. This test will be set up so that no bacteria are present on the iron sample. To accomplish this students will need to wipe down the control iron with an anti-bacterial solution. The iron will then be wiped down and dried on a daily basis to prevent the colonization of bacteria. This test will be left outside to rust naturally.
The second experiment is the test experiment. It will need to be contaminated with a bacteria culture. It will then be left outside to rust naturally.
Collecting Data
The data that will be collected will primarily be observations about the progress of the rusting process. Each entry will need to identify the test, the date and the amount of rust that develops. Students will want to make note of any initial signs of rusting, they will need to measure rust spots and they will need to measure and not any holes that develop.
Analyzing Data
After data has been collected the student will need to analyze their results. First of all they will need to organize their data. This will involve the creation of tables. In the first column of the table will be a list of important developments in the rusting process such as discoloration, holes, flaking and stability degradation of the iron. The second column will contain the heading of control and the third column will contain the heading test. Students will then write down the number of days it took each test to develop the condition in the first column.
The next step is to compare the progression process rate between the control experiment and the test experiment. To prove the hypothesis true the data will need to show that the presence of bacteria speeds up the process of rusting. If the data does not show this trend then the hypothesis can be deemed to be false.
Drawing Conclusions
The analysis of the data that was collected will be used to draw conclusions. To be scored well at a science fair, the conclusions need to be logical and they need to be supported by both the data collected and by the background research done by the student. Students can make references to their background research to support the validity of their conclusions.