Portola Magnet Middle School Science Fair
SPG members recently volunteered as judges for the Portola magnet Middle School Science Fair! This annual outreach opportunity is a rewarding way to encourage the next generation of scientists! See some of the abstracts for the creative experiments presented by the Portola middle schoolers below:
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Research shows that around 30% of teens have low self-esteem and body image. This study will attempt to determine whether body image and self-esteem are objectively better or worse in the LGBTQ+ youth population. There were 192 study participants, 70 identified as cishet (cisgender and heterosexual), and 122 identified as queer. The first set was the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, and the second, the Body Appreciation Index. The second set was Rosenburg’s Self Esteem Scale, developed by Dr. Morris Rosenberg. The scale consists of ten questions measured with answers from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). Questions 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 are calculated as 4=3 points, 3=2 points, 2=1 point, and 1=0 points, with the rest being measured the opposite way. One's final score is calculated by adding the points up. A score of 15–25 is in the healthy range. A score below 15 suggests unhealthy self-esteem. Participants then completed the Body Appreciation Scale by Avalos and colleges. The scale consists of thirteen questions measured with answers from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Answers are calculated by; 5=4 points, 4=3 points, 3=2 points, 2=1 point, 1=0 points. With higher scores, suggesting higher body appreciation. On average, queer kids scored lower on both questionnaires than cishet kids. The results showed a large gap between queer and cishet youth. For the Rosenburg's Self-Esteem Scale, cishet kids scored an average of 18.79, while queer kids scored an average of 13.18. That's a 5.61 point difference. For the Body Appreciation Scale, an even larger gap was found, with cishet kids scoring an average of 36.83 and queer kids scoring an average of 27.34. That's a 9.49 point difference.
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This study aimed to determine whether light emitted from LEDs would significantly affect the growth of mold on bread. Consumption of moldy foods can cause many deaths around the world because of mycotoxins, which harbor serious side effects and even death. My hypothesis was that if visible light is shined on mold, then the mold will grow slower than without any light at all because light can penetrate mold and also evaporate moisture and make mold growth harder. I tested this hypothesis by sealing slices of bread in Ziploc bags and exposing different slices to different lighting conditions. Each slice of bread went under a cardboard box to remove any outside light, and then one, two, or three LED lights were added and the mold growth area in mm2 was measured. There were five groups with 0-3 lights and one control group with normal sunlight. In my results, on average the control group grew the most in comparison to the baseline, then the group with no lights, the group with 3 lights, the group with 2 lights, and the group with the least growth was the group with 1 light, where there was no growth at all. My results did not support my hypothesis, most likely suggesting that there are factors much more influential in mold growth.
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Melatonin naturally occurs in plants and is responsible for plants surviving different climates. Places that are a lot colder, warmer, or are prone to bacteria or disease spread in their soil have a problem growing healthy corn because the natural melatonin wasn’t enough to help. When these things affect the roots, the foundation of the plant is stopped from growing. This led me to the question, how does adding melatonin to zea mays affect its lateral root growth? If the melatonin does its intended purpose, then the lateral roots will grow longer, faster, and have less trouble growing because of its protection in zea mays. To test my hypothesis, I had to add melatonin to the corn and measure the length of the roots. When a low amount of melatonin was added to the corn, it grew the most and had the least mold and air bubbles when affected. However, too much melatonin did harm and killed the corn. This proved my hypothesis and showed that with a small amount of added protection, a plant can grow a lot better.
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The purpose of the experiment is to create a test that detects lactose in food so people with lactose intolerance can check their food before consumption.Can glucose strips and lactase detect lactose in food? The invention is going to be an easily performable test that can be done by someone anytime and anywhere to ensure that the food they are eating is safe enough for them to consume. When lactase is added to food, it breaks down the lactose into glucose and galactose.Glucose strips would be able to detect this glucose content. In foods that contain lactose and glucose, the after lactase test would detect more glucose than the before lactase test which suggests the presence of lactose. In the after lactase test 7 drops of Seeking Health® will be added to the product being tested. So disaccharide dissociation can take place.The hypotheses were proven true, so it can be concluded that this test is useful.
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Many are aware of the efficacy of sunscreen, but with so many options available, it is difficult to tell which brand’s sunscreen truly offers the best protection from the sun. People have tested sunscreen on themselves personally to test out various brands. However, by using UV sensitive beads and a direct source of UV rays, it is much easier and fact-based to see which brand is a stronger barrier against the source. In this experiment, I used a UV lamp and UV sensitive color changing beads to test four different drug store brand sunscreens. By using the sunscreen on Ziploc bags containing the beads and placing them under the UV lamp for the same time periods for comparison, I was able to test which of them can withstand UV rays with the least color change. The least color change showed the least UV absorbance. Although the SPFs or protection levels of the sunscreens were all the same, they all had different characteristics. One brand claimed to be non-greasy, one was an aerosol and sprayed on clear, and another used an ingredient of zinc oxide that the others did not use. The results showed that the sunscreen made for babies consisting of the ingredient of zinc oxide seems to offer the best protection against UV rays overall. It created a whiter film than others and showed the least color change in comparison.
