Homework #3:   A Practical Application of the Scientific Method
Suggestions and Ideas for Projects to Explore

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• Explore the variation of daily temperature (the mean value and the extremes) for cities scattered over the surface of the Earth. Which variables have a significant effect on temperature: the latitude (distance from the Equator), the longitude (position around the Earth), the altitude (height above sea level), proximity to the ocean, wind patterns, ... do you see trends with the seasons? do you see longterm trends?

• Measure the impact of various distractions on concentration and focus. Which variables most affect our ability to solve a simple set of problems: loud or quiet music, bright or dim lights, vile smells, extreme cold or heat, persistent curious children, hunger or thirst, exhaustion, ... which of these factors come into play when you study?

• What is the most effective way to teach someone the cause of the phases of the Moon? Do people respond best to models where the Sun, Moon and Earth are represented by lights and balls, or to visual demonstrations showing the appearance of the Moon and its orbital position over the course of a month, or to detailed descriptions with words rather than pictures? Do most people respond well to what you found effective when you learned them?

• What are the critical ingredients in a bread recipe? Try varying the recipe by leaving out the yeast, the sugar, or the flour, and evaluate the result. Which ingredients are critical to success (without them, you've baked a mud pie), and which are less essential flavorings?

• The splat test – what covers more ground or goes farther, when frozen and dropped from a (small) height, a strawberry, an apple, a cantaloupe, or a watermelon? What effect does the freezing have on the fruit? What matters more: the size of the fruit, the weight of the fruit, the softness of the fruit, or the height from which you drop it?

• Why does the color of the sky change? Explore the ways in which light is scattered by particles in our atmosphere.

• Why do the Sun and Moon appear larger on the horizon than overhead? Are the Sun and Moon closest to us when they appear on the horizon, and do they appear to be larger because of this proximity? Measure the angular (apparent) size of the Moon on the sky at various positions, and explain the results.

• Some of the topics that were explored last semester:
  • Why do birds sitting on telephone or overhead wires tend to face in the same direction?
  • Are left-handed people more flexible than right-handed people?
  • What affordable materials make good insulators for soda pop?
  • What makes objects sink or float in liquids of varying density?
  • Do lighter liquids freeze faster than denser ones?
  • How does background music affect concentration and comprehension?
  • What causes potholes?
  • The splat test: Cratering extents for common garden vegetables
  • How loud is too loud? Blasting music in Garcia Hall
  • How much is too much? Alcohol consumption and sobriety
  • What are the critical ingredients in a chocolate cookie recipe?
  • What makes a good, supportive framework for a heavy paper mache sculpture?
  • Is global warming a serious problem?
  • Why is the sky blue?