Discussion
In my hypothesis, I stated that if we used 10 cotton balls, a sponge, a spoon, and dish soap, we would be able to absorb 85% and contain 90% of the oil spill. However, my hypothesis was proved incorrect, as we actually managed to absorb 94% and contain 96% of the oil in the oil spill! These results may not be completely correct, though, as we had to way to accurately and conclusively measure the amount of oil contained and absorbed through our process. We were confident in our method of choice, as what we were doing mimicked (to an extent) how real life oil spills are cleaned up and dealt with.
We used the spoon in our experiment because we thought that it would be able to properly and efficiently 'absorb' and contain the oil for us. We were incorrect in thinking this, though, as the spoon was essentially useless in containing the oil spill, and barely worked to absorb any of it either. What we did with the sponge was cut it up into long, thin strips and then connect them with our fingers and use it as a boom to both contain and absorb the oil. This proved to be a very effective method and definitely helped us get the final result that we did. While the oil was contained on one side of the washbasin, we lightly dipped the sponges into the washbasin and were able to absorb a lot of the oil. The cotton balls were also very effective, and we definitely would not have gotten the final result that we did without them. Finally, we used dish soap to try and break up the oil. While this technique did work, it wasn't nearly as effective as we thought it would be.
Looking at Table 1 in the Data/Observations & Results, you can see that the sponge was the best material overall. It contained a large majority of the oil, and also contained some. The cotton balls and the spoon weren't effective in containing the oil, but did help when it came to the absorption of it (especially the cotton balls). The spoon only managed to absorb a small percentage of the oil, but the cotton balls absorbed a much larger amount. The dish soap was by far the least effective material when it came to absorbing the oil, as it managed to absorb none of the oil.
Overall, our experiment was successful. If we were to change anything when doing this experiment again, I think that choosing different materials could be beneficial overall; especially if they work better than the ones we chose this time. There were some things that we were unable to control, such as knowing exactly how much oil was being absorbed and contained. This was done with our eyesight for the most part. Overall, I think that we accomplished everything we needed to with this experiment.
We used the spoon in our experiment because we thought that it would be able to properly and efficiently 'absorb' and contain the oil for us. We were incorrect in thinking this, though, as the spoon was essentially useless in containing the oil spill, and barely worked to absorb any of it either. What we did with the sponge was cut it up into long, thin strips and then connect them with our fingers and use it as a boom to both contain and absorb the oil. This proved to be a very effective method and definitely helped us get the final result that we did. While the oil was contained on one side of the washbasin, we lightly dipped the sponges into the washbasin and were able to absorb a lot of the oil. The cotton balls were also very effective, and we definitely would not have gotten the final result that we did without them. Finally, we used dish soap to try and break up the oil. While this technique did work, it wasn't nearly as effective as we thought it would be.
Looking at Table 1 in the Data/Observations & Results, you can see that the sponge was the best material overall. It contained a large majority of the oil, and also contained some. The cotton balls and the spoon weren't effective in containing the oil, but did help when it came to the absorption of it (especially the cotton balls). The spoon only managed to absorb a small percentage of the oil, but the cotton balls absorbed a much larger amount. The dish soap was by far the least effective material when it came to absorbing the oil, as it managed to absorb none of the oil.
Overall, our experiment was successful. If we were to change anything when doing this experiment again, I think that choosing different materials could be beneficial overall; especially if they work better than the ones we chose this time. There were some things that we were unable to control, such as knowing exactly how much oil was being absorbed and contained. This was done with our eyesight for the most part. Overall, I think that we accomplished everything we needed to with this experiment.